TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors are getting sharper within the fourth quarter, placing them within the win column.
Scottie Barnes had seven factors, RJ Barrett added six and Jakob Poeltl 9 as Toronto outscored the Indiana Pacers 29-27 within the ultimate interval of the Raptors’ 122-111 victory Tuesday. It was Toronto’s second straight victory and third in 4 video games.
“I believe we’re simply beginning to determine methods to win a few of these video games on the finish,” Barrett stated. “I believe we additionally did job from the beginning and gave ourselves a lead, in order that even when groups make a run, we’re nonetheless good, as a substitute of simply going all the best way down.”
That was precisely the case Tuesday, with the Raptors main Indiana by as many as 24 factors, however the Pacers closed the hole within the fourth with an 8-0 run pulling Indiana to inside one possession and fewer than seven minutes of much less to play.
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This led Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic to name a timeout and calm his staff down.
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“He was very calm throughout that timeout,” stated Barrett, a local of Mississauga, Ont. “He simply spoke to us, and we knew what to do, and we responded.”
With the ability to react was not the Raptors’ robust go well with to begin the season. Eight of their 15 losses this season have been by six factors or much less. 5 have been a one-possession sport, with Toronto dropping by three factors or much less.
Rajakovic stated that in the course of the essential timeout, he reminded his gamers that they merely needed to give attention to one possession at a time.
“We actually targeted on us, how we execute our offenses and our defenses,” Rajakovic stated. “I assumed our execution within the final 4 to 5 minutes was actually, actually good.
“I believe we’re getting higher in that facet.”
Barnes, who completed with a career-high 35 factors, agreed together with his coach.
“That fourth quarter, we did an important job of locking down, getting stops, the stops that have been actually wanted,” he stated. “We did not foul as a lot as we did within the third quarter.
“When it got here down to essentially attempting to cease and focus and lock in, we all know we achieved that.”
Barnes and Barrett have fashioned a strong mixture, sharing level guard duties whereas start line guard Immanuel Quickley continues to get better from {a partially} torn UCL.
Barrett completed with 29 factors, narrowly lacking her fourth straight sport at Scotiabank Enviornment with 30 or extra factors. He smiled when requested if he would companion with Barnes.
“Sounds good, does not it?” It seems to be good. I really like taking part in with Scottie,” Barrett stated. “Yeah, no. I imply, it is enjoyable, you realize? It is enjoyable.
“I believe we complement one another. I do not suppose we’re stepping on one another’s toes in any respect.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Dec. 3, 2024.
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