logo
Raptors' late game execution leads to third straight Summer League win

Raptors' late game execution leads to third straight Summer League win

Yahoo16-07-2025
The Toronto Raptors stepped on the court for their third Summer League contest, this time facing the Denver Nuggets. Despite a slow start, a myriad of fouls, and a chippy they emerged with their third straight win, 101-97.
Initially, this felt like the most challenging game for this squad so far. The whistle didn't go their way and visible frustration was written all over the Raptors' faces after some of the calls. In the first half, Denver got 18 free throws to Toronto's 5. The discrepancy was largely due to the aggression of the Raptors' defence, but the frequency of the whistle discouraged a lot of what has been working for them so far in Summer League.
Advertisement
Off balance and unable to do what they excel at, they started to make mistakes on the offensive end as well, taking ill-advised shots and stalling instead of making the right pass.
Basketball is a game of adjustments though, and coming out of the locker room that's exactly what Toronto did. Their defensive effort, now more disciplined, allowed them to go on a 19-0 scoring run, building a comfortable lead. Their ability to force turnovers and get out and run in transition wreaked havoc for Denver. The whole tone of the game had changed.
A significant shift in momentum to start the fourth quarter was the final challenge for this Summer League squad, but they took that in stride as well, sticking to their game plan and maintaining their lead until the final buzzer.
Denver falls to 0-3 in Vegas, but had strong 3-point shooting in the first half, especially from Boo Buie III. In the final minutes it picked up again, with their corner 3-point shooting getting them back into the game. Overall, Curtis Jones was their best performer, who made a variety of tough and well-timed shots. He finished with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Spencer Jones and Tamar Bates also chipped in, with 13 and 14 respectively.
Advertisement
Toronto had excellent performances from almost everyone who checked into the game. Ja'Kobe Walter had another phenomenal offensive performance, leading all scorers with 26 points. His mix of long range, pull-up, and at-the-rim shots exhibited his developing abilities as a three-level scorer. He also had 7 steals in this game, a component of his solid defensive performance as well. Late in the game he also was able to make solid shots, being a big part of the victory tonight. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles finished with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. A.J. Lawson also had an excellent birthday performance, with 19 points and 7 rebounds.
While there is a silver lining for every player and the team's performance as a whole, I've narrowed it down to three major ones:
Jamal Shead's basketball IQ and ability to facilitate were on full display in his minutes tonight. He struggled to score on his own in the first half, especially from long range, but was able to get everyone else their shots with some extremely well timed passes. The way he was able to navigate pick-and-roll situations was also encouraging, especially as his floater game continues to develop. In the second half, his scoring opened up, dropping 16 points tonight to go with his 8 assists. His defence was just as important, and it was nice to hear rookie Chucky Hepburn shout him out during a timeout for his mentorship. Shead's ability to defend on all levels should easily become tone-setting for the team. Steals, deflections, forced turnovers, drawn fouls, and just his presence at times changes the tone of the game. Denver certainly felt his presence, as his plus/minus for this game was +11.
While their defence has been the biggest talking point of Summer League so far, just as vital to their game has been their effort. Any 50-50 or loose ball leads to bodies flying, quick hands, and an unwillingness to be denied the ball. Darko joined the broadcast, speaking of the character of the team that Toronto is constructing. He talked about how connected they are and their desire to win. Effort is an important part of that and to see this from the rookies can help set the blueprint for the rest of the team. No possession is lost, no clock is too late to heave a shot and hit (yet another) buzzer beater.
The late-game scoring struggles and decision making errors have been a plague for the Raptors over the last couple of years. As the year went on, they made improvements, but for a young team it's such a challenge to execute under the high-stress conditions of the final minutes of a close game. Now, in back-to-back games this has been the situation for the Raptors youngest players, and yet they have risen to the challenge. There were still missed free-throws, unfortunate fouls, and defensive miscommunications, but they persevered, and they held onto the lead.
The fourth and final prescheduled game for the Raptors in Summer League will be Thursday, July 17 at 10pm ET on Sportsnet. Tune in to see if they can remain undefeated and play for a spot in the Summer League Championship.
More from raptorshq.com:
Advertisement
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Seattle Wins The MLB Trade Deadline By Adding Big Bat Suarez
Seattle Wins The MLB Trade Deadline By Adding Big Bat Suarez

Forbes

time31 minutes ago

  • Forbes

Seattle Wins The MLB Trade Deadline By Adding Big Bat Suarez

The Seattle Mariners stepped up big. The Mariners have agreed to a trade with Arizona that will return slugger Eugenio Suarez to the Northwest, according to reports, a deal that both teams seemed compelled to make with the major league trade deadline in sight. The Mariners, tied with the Texas Rangers for the third and final AL wild card spot, looked to strengthen an offense that was 12th in the majors in runs despite Cal Raleigh's MVP-type season as they make a run for their first playoff berth in three seasons, and second since 2001. Third baseman Suarez was the biggest bat on the market. He has 36 homers this season and will complement catcher Raleigh in the middle of the order. Raleigh leads the majors with 41 homers, and he and Suarez are tied for the lead in RBIs with 87. The Mariners' lineup now ranks among the strongest in the majors — with leadoff man J.P. Crawford followed in some order by Julio Rodriguez, Raleigh, Suarez, Randy Arozarena and another former D-Back, first baseman Josh Naylor. The Mariners acquired Naylor on July 24 as the Diamondbacks began to offload their slew of top-tier potential free agents after beginning a free-fall that has stretched to eight losses in nine games. They are a season-low seven games below .500. Arizona, which was built for this season and was operating with a franchise-record $187 million payroll, was swept by the Detroit Tigers hours before the Suarez trade and is nine games behind the San Diego Padres for the third NL wild card spot with five teams to pass. As their playoff chances decreased to 1.6 percent per FanGraphs, the Diamondbacks faced the reality that moving Suarez was necessary. They received first baseman Tyler Locklear and minor league right-handed relievers Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos for Suarez. Suarez with hit by a pitch in his right hand in the ninth inning of a 5-1 loss to Detroit on Monday and was forced to leave the game, leading some to wonder if potential trading partners would have second thoughts. X-rays were negative, and Suarez returned to the lineup with a double in four plate appearances Wednesday. Mariners' Major Moves Come With History The deal is the biggest in Jerry Dipoto's 10 seasons as the Mariners' president of baseball operations, and it came almost two years after he was criticized inside and out for standing pat at the 2023 deadline, when the Mariners were in the playoff hunt. They won 88 games but finished one game behind Toronto for the final wild card spot. Raleigh was among those expressing frustration the day the Mariners were eliminated, although the sides cleared the air and Raleigh signed a six-year, $105 million free agent deal late in spring training. "We've got to commit to winning,' Raleigh said at the time. 'We have to commit to going and getting those players. You see other teams going out, going for it, getting big-time pitchers, getting big-time hitters. We have to do that to keep up.' The Mariners did just that with Suarez, who is playing on an expiring contract that will pay him $15 million this season. He will be a free agent this winter, but the trade was about now for the Mariners. Suarez had 53 homers and 183 RBIs in two seasons with Seattle before being sent to the Diamondbacks for pitcher Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala, a trade that looks dreadful in hindsight. Only Vargas remains. Suarez was on the Mariners' 2022 playoff team that beat Toronto in the wild card but was swept by AL West champion Houston in the division series. The Astros lead the West by five games over the Mariners and Rangers now. Where Do the Diamondbacks Go From Here? Arizona general manager Mike Hazen seemingly acquired his first baseman of the future in right-handed-hitting Locklear, who has 19 homers and 82 RBIs in his first full season at Triple-A Tacoma this year after 16 homers and 67 RBIs at two minor league stops in 2024. He was the Mariners' second-round pick in the 2022 draft and was ranked the No. 9 prospect in the Seattle organization by MLB Pipeline. Cranton and Burgos were ranked Nos. 16-17. A hole at third base remains with the loss of Suarez, although top prospect Jordan Lawlar is the logical candidate to step in. Hazen may be forced to trade 'walk year' starters Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen by Thursday's deadline. Kelly, who is 9-6 with a 3.22 ERA, is having the better year, but at 36 is seven years older than Gallen. 'This is this is not the position I anticipated us being in,' Hazen told reporters after trading Naylor. 'At some point, I have to take a step back from what I want to do and focus on what the what the greater good for the organization is.' Kelly and Gallen have expressed a desire to stay, but the economics work against that. If they remain with the D-Backs through the season, both would become free agents and could be tendered a qualifying offer over the winter. That qualifying offer was $21.05 million last winter. The D-Backs may not be in a position to reach that high. They have $102 million committed to nine players in 2026, including the $30.9 million owed injured right-hander Corbin Burnes, who is expected to miss most if not all of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. Kelly, who has played under club-friendly terms in his seven seasons in Arizona, seems likely to test the market.

Yankees tie it 3 times in late innings before finally beating Rays 5-4 in 11
Yankees tie it 3 times in late innings before finally beating Rays 5-4 in 11

Washington Post

time36 minutes ago

  • Washington Post

Yankees tie it 3 times in late innings before finally beating Rays 5-4 in 11

NEW YORK — Ryan McMahon drove in the winning run in the 11th inning with a single to deep center field, and the New York Yankees edged the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Wednesday night in a back-and-forth finish. Trent Grisham hit a tying homer in the eighth, Anthony Volpe did the same in the ninth and Cody Bellinger evened the score again for the Yankees with an RBI triple in the 10th. Moments later, New York took advantage of a critical balk by reliever Kevin Kelly (0-3) to remain four games behind first-place Toronto in the AL East. Grisham's leadoff homer in the eighth and Giancarlo Stanton's run-scoring single off Bryan Baker gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Josh Lowe put Tampa Bay back in front with a two-run homer off closer Devin Williams in the ninth, but Volpe went deep against Pete Fairbanks with one out in the bottom half. Jonathan Aranda hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly against Luke Weaver in the 10th to put the Rays ahead 4-3 — but Jasson Domínguez made a terrific leaping catch at the left-field wall to prevent additional damage on the play. Bellinger tied it with his triple to right-center off Edwin Uceta in the bottom half. Kelly's balk advanced runners to second and third with nobody out in the 11th, forcing the Rays to play their outfield shallow. McMahon, acquired last week from Colorado , hit a long fly to center that landed just shy of the warning track. Tim Hill (4-3) worked a scoreless inning for the win, aided by McMahon's leaping grab at third base to snag Lowe's leadoff line drive. Brandon Lowe doubled home a third-inning run for the Rays in his return from the injured list . Volpe hit his sixth homer in 12 games but committed his third throwing error in two nights at shortstop. He leads the majors with 16 errors. The Rays (54-55) dropped below .500 for the first time since May 24. They have lost eight of 10 and are a major league-worst 8-20 since June 27 following an MLB-best 25-9 stretch. ... Grisham set a career high with his 18th home run. Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (6-8, 3.42 ERA) faces RHP Marcus Stroman (2-2, 6.09) in the finale of the four-game series Thursday afternoon. ___ AP MLB:

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store