Clippers
Raptors Bury Clippers Early, Survive Fourth-Quarter Rally 114-106
The Toronto Raptors beat the LA Clippers 114-106 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, building a lead as large as 21 points before holding on as Los Angeles rallied late. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley combined to shoot 13-of-19 from the floor for Toronto, while both teams opened their preseason at 0-0 with no history between them yet this season.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 11 d ago01The story of the nightRaptors Pull Away EarlyToronto opened with a 24-18 edge in the first quarter and kept building, taking a 57-45 lead into the half and…
Toronto opened with a 24-18 edge in the first quarter and kept building, taking a 57-45 lead into the half and pushing it to 89-72 after three quarters. The Raptors' biggest lead of the night reached 21 points, built on 50.6% shooting (40/79) compared to the Clippers' 42.9% (33/77). Los Angeles never got closer than 2 points all game and trailed by double digits for most of the second half. The Clippers finally woke up in the fourth, outscoring Toronto 34-25 to cut the final margin to 8, but the hole dug over the first three quarters was too deep to climb out of.
02Barrett and Quickley Lead Toronto's StartersRJ Barrett scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three, in just 23.1 minutes and finished plus-21.
RJ Barrett scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three, in just 23.1 minutes and finished plus-21. Immanuel Quickley was even more efficient, going 6-of-8 from the field and 5-of-6 from deep for 18 points in 19.1 minutes, plus-27. Scottie Barnes added 12 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists. Off the bench, Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles each scored 13, with Murray-Boyles grabbing 9 rebounds. For the Clippers, Rui Hachimura led all scorers on his team with 14 points on 7-of-7 free throws, Darius Garland had 11 points and 4 assists, and reserves Baba Miller and Yuki Kawamura each chipped in 10.
03Boards and the Break Decided ItToronto out-rebounded Los Angeles 59-44, a 15-board edge that turned into extra shots and easy buckets in transition…
Toronto out-rebounded Los Angeles 59-44, a 15-board edge that turned into extra shots and easy buckets in transition — the Raptors scored 17 fast-break points to the Clippers' 9. Toronto also won the paint, 46-42. The Clippers actually protected the ball better, turning it over 15 times to Toronto's 20, and their bench outscored Toronto's reserves 62-52. But those advantages came too late and in the wrong columns: points off turnovers were close, 17 for the Clippers to 16 for the Raptors, so the extra giveaways from Toronto didn't cost them the way the rebounding gap helped them.
04What It MeansBoth teams came in at 0-0 with no history between them this season, so this was about building habits, not standings.
Both teams came in at 0-0 with no history between them this season, so this was about building habits, not standings. Toronto's starting group — Barrett, Quickley, Barnes and Jakob Poeltl, who added 9 points and 2 steals — looked sharp from the opening tip. The Clippers will take encouragement from a bench that outscored the Raptors' reserves and from a fourth quarter where they finally found their shot, but the slow start and the rebounding gap are the fixes they need before the games start counting.
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