Raptors trying to ‘out-team the other team’

Toronto rookie Jamison Battle received a large ovation from the remaining Raptors fans astatine Scotiabank Arena connected Friday aft helium fouled retired successful little than 15 minutes of playing time.

The motion wasn’t cynical, but a tribute to what helium and a Raptors seat that included 3 different rookies accomplished successful a 115-107 triumph implicit the Philadelphia 76ers. Battle had 12 points and six rebounds earlier helium earned his sixth foul to get drummed retired of the game.

“Felt good, conscionable to cognize I tin lend to a squad win,” Battle said of the ovation. “That’s each I truly attraction astir … conscionable coming retired present and doing what I tin to assistance this squad win.”

Battle and the remainder of Toronto’s reserves were called connected to assistance a rotation importantly thinned by injuries.

Head manager Darko Rajakovic said pre-game that constituent defender Immanuel Quickley (right pelvic contusion) would miss the game. Quickley joined RJ Barrett (sprained shoulder) of Mississauga, Ont., Kelly Olynyk (back) of Kamloops, B.C., Bruce Brown (arthroscopic genu surgery), and Ja’Kobe Walter (sprained shoulder) connected the inactive list.

The referees besides took the starters of some teams retired of the game, issuing 66 idiosyncratic fouls successful the game. Both teams ended up scoring much escaped throws than tract goals, with the Raptors going 39 for 46 (84.8 per cent) from the foundation stripe and Philadelphia shooting 40 of 53 (75.5 per cent).

Starters Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick and Davion Mitchell each got into foul occupation arsenic they tried to grind down the Sixers’ offence.

Toronto’s seat stepped up successful their absence, outscoring Philly’s reserves 41-19.

“We’re a team, and that’s what we person to bent our chapeau on,” said Battle, who was playing successful lone his 2nd NBA game. “That’s what our individuality has to be: we person to out-team different teams.

“We whitethorn not person the astir endowment successful the country but we’ve got a batch of radical who, if we bring it together, (with) 5 guys connected retired determination connected the court, we tin beryllium truly scary.”

Dick and Mitchell besides fouled out, starring to Jamal Shead and Jonathan Mogbo — 2 of Toronto’s 4 picks from this past summer’s NBA Draft — each playing implicit 23 minutes.

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“I consciousness similar everybody connected the seat is acceptable for their sanction to get called,” said Mogbo, who had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists successful 24 minutes of play. “I consciousness similar we did a large occupation with it arsenic a team.

“Everybody was acceptable to play tonight.”

Rajakovic said that helium worked hard successful the off-season to make a consciousness of togetherness and it paid disconnected connected Friday due to the fact that everyone has bought in.

“We’ve had a batch of guys that were not readying to beryllium successful the rotation, but successful the extremity — they extremity up cracking the rotation and helping the team,” helium said. “This is simply a squad that’s together.

“I told them contiguous we out-teamed them and that’s 1 happening I was arrogant of.”

Although the 76ers threatened to necktie the crippled close until the precise end, galore fans near the arena aboriginal with the Gardiner Expressway, the road on Toronto’s lakefront that runs beside Scotiabank Arena, closing an hr aft the last whistle for construction.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Oct. 25, 2024.