Without All-Star star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (sidelined for 18 games), the Toronto Raptors suffered another loss to the injury riddled Charlotte Hornets 103-95. Kyle Lowry scored 24 points, Louis Williams had 15 and Greivis Vasquez added 10 in the losing effort.
This was a slam-dunk on paper in terms of talent, injuries and schedule activity. The Raptors had multiple days of rest and plenty of time to practice while the Hornets played their third contest in four games, reeling off victories against meager competition including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic.
The Raptors have now dropped their fourth consecutive contest, but will luckily play their next five games at the Air Canada Centre where they have posted an impressive 14-4 record.
Offense: C+
Toronto’s third ranked offense (behind Golden State and Dallas) showed up for the first two quarters, but laid an egg in the third quarter with only 14 points scored. Credit must be given to Charlotte’s stingy defense which allowed 93.0 points over their past three games, but the Raptors were hindered by limited ball movement, isolation heavy sets and outside shooting. This was one of their poorer offensive outings as they finished the night on 39.7% shooting. Toronto did not have much of a punch from their bench either which was a critical component in the loss. Jonas Valanciunas only had 10 points and the rest of the team did not eclipse the double digit mark. Amir Johnson was basically a ghost with a lowly five points.
Defense: C-
The defense is becoming a glaring issue for the Raptors and it was yet again evidenced tonight. The Hornets, without go-to scorers Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson, had no difficulty getting baskets in every possible fashion against Toronto’s porous defense (allowing a league high 114.2 points per 100 possessions). Open looks, easy drives and minimal rim/paint protection were commonplace and the Raptors had no solution for the electric Kemba Walker and sharpshooting Gerald Henderson, who combined for an impressive 60 points. Dribble penetration was just too easy for the Hornets.
Charlotte torched Toronto in the opening half, especially in the first quarter with 31 points, posting a 45.8 FG %. The Raptors had another poor outing in the third quarter and just couldn’t stop the duo of Walker and Henderson. Charlotte scored on 47.7% shooting on the night which is unacceptable considering the extent of their injuries.
Rebounding: B-
Charlotte had the edge in rebounding tonight, 46-42. Former no.2 overall pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was a beast on the boards with 12 rebounds while Marvin Williams unexpectedly amassed nine rebounds. The Raptors leading rebounder was Lowry with seven.
Game Ball: Kyle Lowry
The Bulldog was at it again, filling the stat sheet with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. The shooting percentages were not pleasant to the eye (7-22) along with the defensive rating (-15), but without his contributions this would have been a lopsided victory for the Hornets. He will still be a lock for the 2015 All-Star game.
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