The Toronto Raptors could not overcome the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, and they face another elite foe in the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night on TSN.
You can watch the Raptors battle the Spurs LIVE on TSN1/4/5, streaming on TSN.ca and on the TSN App, with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
Toronto had a chance for a statement victory over the Thunder (45-14) at home on Tuesday, as the defending champions entered the match missing superstar guard and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is dealing with an abdominal injury.
Though the Raptors started strong, the wheels fell off in the second and third quarters and they could not mount a comeback in the final frame, falling 116-107. Cason Wallace – who has averaged 8.6 points per game this season – led OKC with 27 on the night, and bench guard Isaiah Joe added 22.
“Hopefully the film is going to help us understand better but second, third quarter was not us and it was not our identity,” said head coach Darko Rajakovic after the game. “That was not what we did in the first quarter to start the game. We were dictating and dominating on the offensive end, creating a lot of turnovers, which fuelled our offence and we took our foot off the gas.”
That loss dropped the Raptors’ record to 34-24, the 10th-best mark in the NBA. The Raptors have handled their business against inferior opponents throughout the season,but they are now 4-14 in games against teams that rank above them in the standings – with three of those wins coming against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Spurs (41-16) are one of those opponents, and the Raptors were crushed 121-103 by San Antonio back in October.
Bolstered by superstar centre Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs are currently riding a nine-game winning streak entering this game against Toronto.
Wembanyama totaled 21 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks over the Eastern-Conference leading Detroit Pistons on Monday, and is averaging 24.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and a league-leading 2.8 blocks per game in 43 contests this year.
Raptors guard RJ Barrett, who finished with a team-leading 21 points in Tuesday’s loss, tried to put the Raptors’ struggles against the top competition in the league in perspective.
“Go through these tough losses right now during the season so that we’ll figure it out,” said Barrett on Tuesday about playing teams bound for the postseason. “Today, we started good, went down 20, fought all the way back so that we’re already learning something there.
“We’ve just got to continue to learn how to scratch and claw and beat these good teams, and we will.”
All-Star forward Scottie Barnes suffered a right quad contusion late in the loss to the Thunder and will be questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Spurs, TSN’s Josh Lewenberg reported.
