A former Raptor player, finished with 16 points and seven rebounds as….
TORONTO: On Friday, James Harden recorded a triple-double to help the Los Angeles Clippers defeat the Toronto Raptors 127-107.
With 22 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds, Harden recorded his 75th career triple-double, which ranks ninth all-time in NBA history.
With 16 points and seven rebounds from former Raptor Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles (29-14) won their fourth straight game.
Mason Plumlee recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook scored 20 points off the bench.
Toronto (16-29) suffered its fourth straight loss despite 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists from Scottie Barnes.
During pre-game introductions, Leonard received a standing ovation from the 19,800-strong sold-out crowd at Scotiabank Arena, as Raptors supporters recalled his pivotal part in Toronto’s only NBA championship victory in 2019. Coming off the bench almost seven minutes into the game, Norman Powell—who played for the 2019 championship team and spent the first five and a half seasons of his NBA career in Toronto—was greeted with a warm reception of his own.
In the last 2:15 of the first quarter, Westbrook scored six points, giving Los Angeles a 29–20 lead at the half. Barnes scored seven points in the quarter, leading all scorers.
In the second quarter, Harden took over, scoring 12 points and handing out five assists. With 40.1 seconds remaining in the half, Gary Trent Jr. made a three-pointer, and Barrett followed with a driving layup to put Toronto behind 66-52 going into the break.
Despite a 9-0 surge by the Raptors’ bench in the third quarter, Los Angeles maintained control of the game. After cutting the Clippers’ advantage to 14 points with an alley-oop pass to Chris Boucher of Montreal, Gradey Dick, a rookie from Toronto, led the visitors into the final quarter leading 95-81.
With 5:41 remaining in the game, Barrett whirled around Westbrook and rolled a layup into the hoop to cut L.A.’s advantage to 13 and energise the crowd. Even though Leonard and Plumlee were rested by Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue for a large portion of the fourth quarter, it was as close as the Raptors would get in the quarter.
BRATE LUCK — At his pre-game press conference, Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic wore a shirt with the words “BRATE” across the breast. Brother in Serbian is brate, pronounced BRAH’-teh. The Golden State Warriors created the shirt in memory of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, who passed away unexpectedly on January 17. Rajakovic and Milojevic were good friends, and in order for Rajakovic and the Raptors coaching staff to honour their friend, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr sent them the shirts.
The Raptors take on the Hawks in Atlanta on Sunday to start a six-game road trip.
Los Angeles will play the Boston Celtics (35–10) as part of their ongoing east-coast tour.
The Canadian Press originally released this article on January 26, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, Newspaper Publisher
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NBA Trade Rumours: Pascal Siakam of the Raptors Is Supposed to Be Dealt; Pistons, Others Associated
The New York Knicks received OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors earlier this winter, and Pascal Siakam seems to be the next player to be traded.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports that Siakam is anticipated to be sold by the trade deadline of February 8.
The Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings have been the subject of “chatter among NBA executives surrounding Siakam’s potential landing spots,” according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
He continued: “Other teams mentioned, such as Dallas and Philadelphia, don’t appear as viable destinations at this juncture, although Toronto officials have suggested to inquiring front offices as many as 10 teams hold legitimate interest in Siakam.
As the Raptors prepare to presumably rebuild, Siakam has been one of the most sought-after names on the trade market this winter. But since the Anunoby deal, there has been “no traction” in trade negotiations involving the veteran, according to a report published on Saturday by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Siakam is expected to hit free agency following the 2023–24 season. He can only sign a two-year contract extension, though, if he gets traded before the deadline.
Siakam “would prefer, again, to proceed to unrestricted free agency… meaning that any team that trades for him now must be daring enough to roll those dice,” according to an NBA insider report published on Monday.
Siakam has played for Toronto for his whole eight-year career, during which he has helped the team win the 2019 NBA championship. In addition, he was selected for two All-Star teams and two NBA All-Star teams, as well as the 2018–19 Most Improved Player award.
The 29-year-old is still enjoying a good season despite Toronto’s difficulties this year, despite lower overall stats. Despite shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from beyond the arc, he has averaged 22.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 34 games.
Even though Siakam’s output is below his usual level, he would still be a valuable asset to any club in the running this season, and it will be interesting to watch where he ends up.
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