TORONTO – Bruce Brown intercepted a move and streaked down the court docket, driving previous some token defence from Atlanta Hawks ahead Jalen Johnson for a one-handed slam dunk.
Brown’s Toronto Raptors teammates go off the house workforce’s bench, cheering for the veteran ahead.
“It’s simply because they didn’t assume I can soar, as a result of I haven’t jumped actually, or they haven’t seen it, after which they didn’t see it the final 12 months,” Brown mentioned, including he knew he would dunk as quickly as he crossed half-court.
“I informed them I might do it and I used to be like, ‘if I get the possibility to, I’mma dunk it.’”
It was Brown’s first dunk in eight months as he scored 12 factors and had three rebounds off the bench in his season debut on Sunday as Toronto misplaced to Atlanta 136-107. He’d missed the primary 31 video games of the Raptors season as he recovered from arthroscopic knee surgical procedure on Sept. 20, a course of that took longer than he anticipated.
“I assumed I used to be gonna be out like six to eight weeks however some issues didn’t go my method,” mentioned Brown. “There was a whole lot of swelling in there for some time.
Associated Movies
“Issues occurred, after which I used to be supposed to come back again, like, three, 4 weeks in the past, however there was nonetheless swelling there, in order that they informed me to take my time.”
Get day by day Nationwide information
Get the day’s prime information, political, financial, and present affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox as soon as a day.
Brown averaged 9.6 factors, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks over 34 video games with the Raptors final season. He was traded from the Indiana Pacers to Toronto on Jan. 18 as a part of a bundle for all-star ahead Pascal Siakam.
He’s averaged 8.9 factors, 4.2 rebounds and a couple of.5 assists over his profession in 416 video games with the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana and Toronto.
Brown’s return doesn’t simply add depth to the Raptors’ lineup, however brings some much-needed power to a struggling workforce that has misplaced 10 in a row.
“You see him get on the market and put his physique on the road after being out for therefore lengthy,” mentioned Scottie Barnes, who led Toronto with 19 factors, eight rebounds, and 5 assists however eight turnovers within the loss. “He’s making himself so drained on the market simply guarding, pushing himself. That’s what the workforce wants.
“We’ve all received to match that power each single night time. That’s the trouble we’re going to want with a view to win video games.”
Head coach Darko Rajakovic mentioned that fatigue is a significant component within the NBA’s longest energetic dropping skid. He mentioned {that a} lack of focus performed a job in Toronto’s season-high 31 turnovers on Sunday.
“We hit a wall. We glance drained. We glance drained,” mentioned Rajakovic. “Guys aren’t in a rhythm. That’s the fact that we’re in proper now. We’ve received to discover a technique to get out of it.”
It was the third consecutive recreation the place the Raptors had given up over 130 factors, and second 29-point blowout in a row.
“Getting beat by 30, man, at residence — that’s unacceptable,” mentioned Barnes. “We are able to’t be doing that. We received to go on the market and play tougher, be smarter.
“We had a whole lot of turnovers at the moment. We are able to’t enable this to occur.”
Brown was extra optimistic.
“We simply want some relaxation, and we’ll push by means of it,” he mentioned, noting {that a} abdomen flu had unfold by means of Toronto’s locker room. “I imply, all groups have this in some unspecified time in the future, even championship groups, so we’ll push by means of it. We’ll be positive.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Dec. 29, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
Source link