The Toronto Raptors had a promising first half in Denver, then watched it all unravel in a brutal third quarter on the way to a 128-109 loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday night.
Toronto went into halftime with a 67-64 lead after a fast, efficient opening stretch. The Raptors had four of their five starters in double figures by the break, and the ball was moving with purpose. They scored 35 points in the first quarter alone and knocked down 6 of 12 from three, which gave them exactly the kind of start they needed after back-to-back 22- and 23-point first quarters in Los Angeles.
But the second half told a much different story. Denver erupted for 41 points in the third quarter while Toronto managed just 15, and the game flipped hard from there. The Nuggets kept attacking the paint, controlling the glass and forcing mistakes that turned into easy offense.
Nikola Jokic was the center of it all. He finished with a triple-double, leading all scorers with 32 points to go with 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Denver scored 76 points in the paint and piled up 24 points off turnovers, while also winning the rebounding battle 45-41 and collecting 17 second-chance points.
That interior edge was the clearest problem for Toronto. The Raptors simply did not have enough size to handle Denver down low, and Jokic made that mismatch obvious.
Collin Murray-Boyles had a decent first half, but he was overwhelmed overall against Jokic. Jakob Poeltl came off the bench for 18 minutes and finished with eight points and five rebounds, but the Raptors’ frontcourt issues were still on full display.
Toronto did get solid scoring nights from its top options. Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett both produced, but the drop-off from the rest of the roster was a major issue.
Immanuel Quickley helped fuel that strong opening with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including 2-for-4 from deep, and six assists in the first half. He finished with 13 points and seven assists, but he only made one more shot the rest of the way and missed three of his final four attempts.
That kind of inconsistency has been a problem, especially with Kawhi Leonard sidelined. The Raptors need Quickley’s shooting and playmaking to show up more consistently, and Wednesday was another example of how quickly their offense can stall when that doesn’t happen.
Toronto is now 2-4 without Leonard and will finish this four-game road trip in Milwaukee on Friday.
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For Toronto, it is the kind of development worth watching closely. Mahlalela brings coaching experience from both the Raptors and the Golden State Warriors, and another run at the Liberty job would put him in the same conversation he was nearly part of a year ago. The Raptors have benefited from his presence, but they may have to brace for the possibility that he gets another serious look elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]