TORONTO – Three-point capturing is the weapon of alternative within the trendy NBA however the Toronto Raptors are struggling to seek out consistency from past the arc.
RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., made one in every of Toronto’s 5 three-pointers because the Raptors made 33 makes an attempt from past the arc in a 111-101 loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. That amounted to a woeful 15.2 capturing proportion from vary for the Raptors towards the reigning NBA champions after Toronto was 20 for 35 on threes, 57.1 per cent, in a 127-109 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
“Generally you make photographs, typically you don’t,” stated Barrett, who completed with a team-best 22 factors regardless of going 1 for five on three-pointers towards Boston. “I feel we really received numerous attractiveness, actually, most likely higher seems to be than we received towards Phoenix.
“However, you realize, they simply didn’t drop immediately. I feel even with that, we nonetheless performed onerous, and we nonetheless performed effectively, regardless that we weren’t making photographs.”
The Raptors went 8 for 8 on three-point makes an attempt to shut out their victory on Sunday. Toronto then went 0 for 11 from past the arc to begin Tuesday’s loss to the Celtics, not making a 3 till effectively into the second quarter.
Associated Movies
“We make some photographs, it seems to be completely totally different,” stated Scottie Barnes, who had 21 factors on Tuesday regardless of lacking all 5 of his three-point makes an attempt. “However, you realize, we didn’t. It didn’t fall tonight.
Get every day Nationwide information
Get the day’s prime information, political, financial, and present affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox as soon as a day.
“We nonetheless have gotten to wash up some issues. It’s not an excuse.”
Boston received the NBA title final season thanks, partially, to its proficiency with the three.
The Celtics have leaned into that, placing up a league-high 47.7 three-point makes an attempt per sport this season. Toronto has tried the second-fewest threes within the NBA within the 2024-25 marketing campaign, with 33 per sport heading into Tuesday evening.
“When you take numerous them, you’re going to make some,” stated Barrett. “They take numerous makes an attempt, they make numerous threes.
“You positively attempt to play the sport, attempt to make their threes onerous contested, after which attempt to shoot as many as we will. … They only made theirs, and we didn’t make ours.”
Head coach Darko Rajakovic agreed with Barrett that the standard of Toronto’s three-points makes an attempt towards Boston have been nearly as good, if not higher, than the seems to be the Raptors received towards Phoenix.
“I want that from final sport these 20 that we made, that we didn’t make 4 of these, that we stored them for tonight,” joked Rajakovic. “On this situation, we win the sport. I assumed that high quality of these photographs have been good. The ball didn’t go in tonight.”
Forwards Kristaps Porzingis (sickness) and Al Horford (left toe sprain) in addition to level guard Jrue Vacation (relaxation) didn’t play for Boston. Porzingis was a late scratch and Vacation had a deliberate evening off because the Celtics have been enjoying the primary sport of a back-to-back.
Regardless of woeful three-point capturing all through the sport, Toronto hung in, even taking a short one-point lead within the second quarter. The Raptors managed that by an impressively environment friendly sport from in shut, going 37-for-50 (74 per cent) on two-point discipline objectives.
“Horford and Porzingis didn’t play, so it positively opened up much more issues on the rim for us immediately,” stated Barrett. “We have been making an attempt to transform as lots of these as we might.
“I consider that if we make a few of these threes, simply 4 extra, and it’s a totally totally different sport.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Feb. 25, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Source link