The injury-depleted Toronto Raptors are looking for more than another moral victory Friday night when they string together five straight losses in their matchup against the visiting Orlando Magic.
The Raptors completed an 0-4 road trip Wednesday night with a 113-104 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
The Raptors will face a challenge in the Magic, who are coming off a 114-106 home victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday and have won six of eight.
The Raptors (23-43) and the Magic (38-28) meet on Sunday in Orlando.
The Toronto trip included some valiant efforts that failed. They forced the Denver Nuggets to come back from a 22-point deficit in a 125-119 loss on Monday. The Raptors came back to force overtime in a 128-118 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Toronto continues to play without two key players: Scottie Barnes (hand surgery) and Jakob Poeltl (finger surgery). The Raptors were also without RJ Barrett (personnel), Gary Trent Jr. (groin strain) and Chris Boucher (knee) against the Pistons.
Barrett is listed as out for Friday and Trent is listed as questionable.
The Raptors led the Pistons by 16 points in the second quarter and led 57-52 at halftime. They were held to 22 points in the third quarter.
Immanuel Quickley scored 25 points for Toronto and Kelly Olynyk 19 points.
“We had 32 assists, but we couldn’t get enough on the glass,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We gave up too many second chance points. That was the biggest difference.
Toronto started the second quarter with a 26-5 lead.
“We had it at 16 points – 53-37 – but we lost a little concentration at the end of the half,” Rajakovic said. “That allowed them to come back at five o’clock.”
Paolo Banchero scored 21 points and added nine assists for the Magic in their win over Brooklyn.
“I give a lot of credit to Paolo,” said Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., who had 15 points and eight rebounds. “I’ve seen him set the tone for everyone before, and that was his approach tonight. We were a lot more physical than them tonight.
Jalen Suggs scored 11 of his 14 points in the first quarter to help the Magic take a 17-point advantage less than 10 minutes into the game.
After missing two games with a right thigh contusion, Suggs helped establish the Magic’s physical advantage.
Suggs made three 3-pointers in the first quarter, giving Orlando a 33-16 lead.
Markelle Fultz (left knee sprain) returned after missing Sunday’s 111-97 loss to the Indiana Pacers. He had 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench against the Nets.
The Magic ended a two-game losing streak that began after winning five straight games.
“We have a good group that is learning and responding,” said Magic reserve forward Joe Ingles, who had six points against the Nets. “It’s better to come now [the two straight losses] that in 18 matches or whatever.
The Raptors have won 17 of their last 20 home games against the Magic (November 18, 2012 to February 14, 2023), including eight of the last nine.
The Magic lead the season series 1-0, after a 126-107 victory in Orlando on November 21. The only current Raptors player who played at least 10 minutes in this game and is not currently on the injury report is Gradey Dick.