When we talk about the story of the little people counterattacking, we always inadvertently talk about the Nuggets' star Jokic. But in fact, the Raptors are the best to help the losing draft counterattack. They not only have VanVleet, who was crowned an All-Star honor as a lost draft, but also Trent Jr., who played the core of the team's forward line in the second round, and Siakam, who played the core of the team's front line in the first round of the no. 27 show. Since winning the championship trophy in the summer of 2019, the Raptors have sent away too many quality players over the years.
From the beginning of the small card and Danny Green, to the later Ibaka and gasol Jr., and the discouraged Lowry for the team. In fact, loss and gain are always in a state of coexistence. The Raptors also got some good players in the process of losing them. Although they missed the playoffs last season, they were always able to quickly bounce back on track. With a current record of 34 wins and 28 losses this season, and a no. 7 ranking in the East, the Raptors still have a great chance of returning to the playoffs. In this game, the Raptors challenged the Magic team in the rebuilding phase.
VanVleet, who suffered a knee injury, still failed to return to the court, and the Raptors finally suffered a blow from the Orlando Magic. Siakam's 9 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in the first quarter did not work, and the Magic, who played all-round, once took a 4-point lead with a 27-23 score. After achieving the feat of domination at the beginning, the Magic team that entered the second quarter of the showdown was able to follow the trend and continue to widen the point difference between the two sides. The Raptors were stuck in a scoring drought, and the Magic, who seized the opportunity, gave another 21-16 score with the help of Cole Anthony's eight points and four rebounds in a single quarter, as well as more blossoms from other players on the team.
At the end of the first half, the Magic have led the Raptors by nine points by 48-39. The Magic team, which entered the third quarter of the showdown, still did not give the opponent the opportunity to counterattack, but still relied on the players in the team to play a high state of full soldiers, sending a 24-21 score and taking a 3-point lead. Before entering the crucial final quarter of the showdown, the point difference between the two sides had been widened to 12 points. The Raptors were almost beaten to no ability to fight back, but Siakam was unwilling to compromise, still sending an efficient shooting rate of 6 of 8 in the final quarter, handing over 12 points and 5 rebounds.
Unfortunately, at the end of the regular season of the fourth quarter, the Magic still won the game with a score of 103-97. The Magic's overall performance in this game was very good, with 10 players rotating and 7 players scoring in double digits, which can be described as a high state of full staff. However, the scoring situation of the players on the Raptors side is extremely chicken. The burden of their scoring has not been dispersed, but has been placed on the shoulders of a few players. Siakam played 40 minutes in a single game, delivering 34 points and 14 rebounds, and had no choice but to enter the empty group.
Malachi Poria also had 20 points, three rebounds and eight assists, and failed to help the team achieve a final comeback. It is worth affirming that after the Raptors lost this game, their record also became 34 wins and 29 losses, and the Brooklyn Nets that followed them had a few opportunities to rebound. The regular season showdown has come to an end, and the teams have also launched the final sprint, and who can successfully get the tickets for the playoffs is really exciting.