TORONTO – Because the Toronto Raptors veer towards the top of the season with a playoff berth out of sight, the group’s focus has turned towards growth.
However a 108-97 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, the Raptors’ third straight win, confirmed that growth doesn’t simply apply to rookies and sophomores.
The trio of Jakob Poeltl, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley keyed the Raptors’ newest victory — and offered some degree of optimism that the group could also be competing in additional significant video games one yr from now.
“It’s nice to see how exhausting they play … and the way linked they’re and the way they convey with one another and the way they help one another,” head coach Darko Rajakovic stated. “That’s massive for me. For me, all the things begins with taking part in exhausting, and all the things begins with having good group chemistry, and that’s one thing I’m actually proud now we have on this group.”
Poeltl, the ninth-year centre out of Austria, led the Raptors with 24 factors and added 12 rebounds to finish the double-double.
Barnes, the fourth-year ahead and one-time all-star, contributed 18 factors, six rebounds and 6 assists. Fifth-year guard Immanuel Quickley, acquired from the New York Knicks final season within the OG Anunoby deal, tacked on 19 factors and 9 helpers.
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With all three gamers underneath contract for subsequent season, Poeltl stated their current run of play — together with the present three-game successful streak, plus two others earlier in March — has been essential to future success.
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“It’s massive for constructing chemistry,” he stated. “Hopefully we are able to get much more reps these final couple video games of the season. I feel it exhibits on the market that we’ve been placing within the work all year long and now can take a look at that an increasing number of.”
With the seventh-worst file within the NBA, the forward-looking Raptors personal a 32 per cent probability at drawing a top-four decide and a 7.5 per cent probability of successful the highest choice within the NBA Draft lottery on Might 12.
However Toronto is sort of locked into that place, sitting with a file 3.5 video games higher than the Twenty fourth-place Philadelphia 76ers however 4 video games worse than the Twenty second-ranked San Antonio Spurs with simply 9 video games left on the schedule.
The Raptors face the 76ers on Sunday as they try and run their win streak to 4. It will mark a bottom-feeder sweep, with victories now having come towards the Hornets along with the Brooklyn Nets (23-50) and Washington Wizards (16-57).
And so at this level, with the lottery balls seemingly settled, maybe the most effective factor Toronto can do is purpose to construct a successful basis for subsequent season.
One step towards that? The Raptors’ defensive effectivity (factors allowed per 100 possessions) ranked tops within the NBA over the ten video games previous to Friday’s motion.
Rajakovic credited the group’s defence as soon as once more within the win over Charlotte, particularly mentioning Barnes, who held Hornets ahead Miles Bridges to only 4-for-20 capturing.
“We had nice stretches there,” Rajakovic stated. “Total good defensive efficiency from the group.”
Poeltl stated Rajakovic’s defensive system is exclusive within the NBA, and thus requires extra time to excellent.
“The concept is that you just do it for lengthy sufficient to the place we get actually snug in it,” he stated. “Then we are able to put groups in uncomfortable conditions and I feel that’s beginning to present.
“We’re capable of put a whole lot of strain on guys and pressure them to make errors and that’s superior for us. It will get us going, it will get us operating on offence.”
The Raptors recorded 9 steals towards the Hornets whereas committing simply six turnovers themselves.
Within the fourth quarter, Jamal Shead compelled the Hornets into an eight-second backcourt violation, drawing celebration from the Toronto bench.
Ideally for the Raptors, these kinds of performs happen extra regularly, and extra meaningfully, subsequent season.
“We’re nowhere near being executed, however I feel we’re on a superb wave of actually displaying that we are able to put in these stretches,” Poeltl stated.
“Now it’s a matter of taking that to the subsequent step, doing it towards higher opponents, doing it over an entire season, and hopefully the outcomes will comply with.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed March 28, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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