The Toronto Raptors lost 112-97 in the second game of their series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
The Sixers lead the 4-of-7 series 2-0, having also won 131-111 in Game 1. Head coach Doc Rivers entered the 100-man squad with a 100th win in a row.
The Raptors started with the right foot tonight with a series of 11-2 to set the tone. Then they wanted to send a message with a physical game, while Pascal Shiakam got in the way of Joel Ebid and put him on the ground. Fred VanVleet, multiplied the shots by three points, with four successes in six attempts during the first ten minutes.
The Torotonians, however, conceded the first seven fouls of the match to open the door to the Sixers and keep the score 33-32 tight in favor of the guests.
“We started the game well, but ran out of fuel a bit,” VanVleet said.
“You have to dictate more the physical side and the rhythm of the game. You need even better execution. Myself, I have to get better. I need to do better and also see how I can help the children. »
The Sixers took their distance in the second ten minutes, recording 9 points without an answer. During this period, the Raptors unfortunately continued to accumulate very damaging offensive errors and VanVleet was less accurate losing the six long baskets he attempted.
At halftime, the Sixers won 21-6 for points through free throws and 6-1 for blocks.
Gary Trent’s night at work ended in the middle of the third quarter. Trent, whose presence was questionable tonight, was battling an illness unrelated to COVID-19 and was ineffective in the game. The 23-year-old did not score from the field and had a rebound in 9:44.
The Raptors had a boost in the final quarter, prevailing 15-0 in a 4-minute streak, while their opponents were relaxing, but it was too late to sound the team’s real awakening. However, they will try to build on this for their return home.
“We have a club that does not give up,” VanVleet said. You have to appreciate the effort you put in. At the same time, we will need to watch videos and see what we can do better. »
Games 3 and 4 will take place Wednesday and Saturday in Toronto.
“It’s a big challenge for all of us,” VanVleet said. The series is the showcase where you want to go from good to great. We have to answer the call and I’m sure we will. »
“No one on the team is in a bad mood,” he added. If we go for a first win, it becomes a completely different series. »
NBA champion scorer this season, Joel Ebid did another big loss, with 31 points and 11 rebounds. He got 12 points in free throws.
OG Anunoby had 26 points for the Raptors. made four of the seven three-pointers. VanVleet and Pascal Siakam added 20 points each. Montreal reserve Chris Boutcher stood out with 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Very limited (left thumb wrapped), Thad Young got two points in 8 minutes.
The Raptors had to cope without the services of Scotty Barnes. The NBA rookie turned his left ankle after Joel Embiid stepped on him in the final game.
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.
Denver Nuggets announced Nikola Jokic He will miss at least four weeks due to a left knee injury.
Star center was diagnosed with left knee hyperextension. At the same time, tests confirmed that the three-time NBA MVP’s knee ligaments remained intact.
Jokic was injured in the final seconds of the first half of the 123-147 loss to the Miami Heat and limped heavily on his way to the locker room. He did not return to the site after a long time.
Before his injury, Nikola managed to produce 21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in just 19 minutes on the field.
Losing Jokic could be a big blow for Denver, as starters Christian Braun (ankle injury), Aaron Gordon (hip issue) and Cam Johnson (knee injury) remain sidelined.
Jokic averaged 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists per game this season.
Injury Update: Nikola Jokić suffered a Hyperextension injury in his Left Knee in last night’s match against Miami Heat. Nikola will be re-evaluated in four weeks. pic.twitter.com/NIDmlKAN81
I am a sports journalist who has written for various websites and magazines. I currently work as an author at Sportish, a news website that covers sports news. My main focus is writing about soccer, rugby and other sports in the world.
11 games were played in the NBA regular season on the night of December 29-30.
Miami hosted Denver and earned a landslide victory.
The home team was ahead by 12 points with 41:29 to play in the first quarter, but the Nuggets were able to slowly win back in the second quarter. The teams entered a long break with the score tied at 63:63. The decisive factor in the match was the third quarter, when the Heat made an 11:0 move and led by 15 points at 84:69. After that the home team completely controlled the course of the game and only increased their advantage, achieving a crushing victory – 147:123.
The most productive player of the match was Powell, who brought 25 points to Miami, while Jaques (20 points + 11 assists) and Adebayo had double-doubles with 13 points + 10 rebounds.
San Antonio hosted Cleveland and suffered a sensational defeat.
Three-quarters of the meeting was fought evenly, with the teams responding to each other’s pushes with their own pushes and often staying within a shot or two of each other. That changed in the fourth quarter, as the Cavaliers went on a 15-2 run to take a 10-point lead, 94-84. They then maintained their advantage and won with a score of 113:101.
Cleveland’s main hero in this game was Allen, who had a double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Garland can achieve the same success with 15 points and 11 assists.
Toronto beat Orlando at home.
Magic started the match better and made a 14:2 move at the start. Afterwards, they took control of the course of the game and increased the advantage completely to +21 – 51:30 in the second 12 minutes. After that, the home team slowly started to close the gap and entered the long break with a score of 11-11 at 54:65. The third quarter was tied, so Orlando still had a double-digit advantage ahead of the final: 94:84. At the beginning of the match the play followed the same scenario but in the middle Toronto made a move with 15:0 and not only won it back but also took the lead with 105:102. The fate of the game was decided by Barnes’ free throws, which set the score at 107:106 with 1 minute and 27 seconds left in the quarter.
Barnes could not make a triple-double this time, but he did a double-double and got 13 points and 11 rebounds, while the most productive name in the victory was Shead with 19 points.
I am a sports journalist who has written for various websites and magazines. I currently work as an author at Sportish, a news website that covers sports news. My main focus is writing about soccer, rugby and other sports in the world.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo He gave a harsh response to the question about a possible trade to another NBA club:
“I’m here. Don’t ask me that question. It’s disrespectful to me and my teammates. I wear this jersey every day.
To say I don’t want to be here is disrespectful to the organization, the coaching staff, myself and everyone who worked hard to get me on the field. Don’t ask me this question. I am her. I’m going out in this uniform. And as long as I’m here, I’ll give it my all until the last second of the match.”
On the night of December 27-28, Antetokounmpo returned to the field after his calf muscle injury and became the most productive player of the game with the Chicago Bulls – 112:103.
I am a sports journalist who has written for various websites and magazines. I currently work as an author at Sportish, a news website that covers sports news. My main focus is writing about soccer, rugby and other sports in the world.
