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Gunter: An unforgettable night for the Raptors in Oklahoma City

Canadians oppose visiting Raptors

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Overworked, beaten, overtaken.

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The Raptors have had some bad nights in the past, but rarely have they felt so hopeless.

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Normally warmer than Toronto Oklahoma City, or whatever you want, blame the sudden deep freeze, but this is nowhere near the standard the Raptors have established for themselves over the first 12 games of the season. rice field.

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The Thunder seemed locked into the winning row with a two-overtime loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday, but they had their hunger fully satisfied this night, with a 132-113 thump for the visiting Raptors. showed it.

After a sloppy first quarter in which the two teams tallied 15 total turnovers, the Thunder took the lead in the second quarter with a 41-point burst.

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The Thunder reached the rim with ease and once there found little to no pushback. Rugenz Dort and Eugene Omorui, who are people, bombed.

The Thunder shot solidly 65% ​​from the field in the first half, giving them a 70-56 lead in the second quarter.

All five of the Thunder’s starters were in double digits by the end of the third quarter.

In another game on the docket at Indianapolis on Saturday night, Nurse didn’t play any of his usual starters in the final frame. It was only

He didn’t have many options for point guard Fred VanVleet. He was taken out late in the third round and didn’t return due to illness other than COVID.

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At least he had an excuse.

The game set a new mark for points allowed in a game by the Raptors this season, beating the old mark of 119 against Philadelphia fairly easily, and Miami scoring 71 against them, the worst ever. I entered one of the halves.

Canada’s highest peak

Nick Nurse wasn’t about to start another round of tampering accusations.

But being in Oklahoma City for the first time this season, the day after Canada’s national senior men’s team officially qualified for the World Cup this summer, it was inevitable that the head coach would be asked about the player who is probably currently Canada’s top performer. A win over Venezuela on Thursday in Edmonton.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was clearly not in that lineup, but the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard will be a big part of what Canada has accomplished this summer.

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Nurse is clearly a huge Gilgeous-Alexander fan, having seen him play up close when he played for the Canadian national team and became an avid fan of him.

“When you have a player in your own side, you always learn more about a player, but that he is incredibly good with the ball and can get him anywhere he wants. He was great offensively, scoring and really setting up shooters,” Nurse said. “But what really impressed me was that he literally shut out the night we played and was the top scorer for the opposing team. I played at

Through the first 10 games of the season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.6 points per night and shot just under 54%.

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Gilgeous-Alexander’s reputation for offense has already been established across the league, so it’s no surprise that Nurse goes to the defensive end first.

“He’s taken a first step as good as the league. If you square him up to protect him, he’s right there,” Nurse said. The speed at which you reach the rim is elite level, which means it happens faster than anyone is used to by just athleticism and quickness.

And again, he grew in the game,” said Nurse. “Probably in his first few years, he would sprint to the rim and lay it down every time, and that was his move. Now he controls the 6-8-10-12 foot area very well. You have to reach 2 feet and stop, then you can do a little turnaround on the block.”

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In short, Gilgeous-Alexander is a matter of both ends of the court.

missing precious

Having already beaten Pascal Siakam, the Raptors are now eyeing a possible long-term absence for Precious Achiuwa, who tore multiple ankle ligaments in Wednesday’s game against Houston.

Nurse said he will look further to Chris Boucher, who will carry its second unit, along with veterans Otto Porter Jr. and Thad Young.

Boucher, who had been very dominant in the first seven or eight games of the season in those few minutes, had a few down nights in the second half, but Nurse said the forced changes in that second unit rotation were not enough. I hope to have a positive impact on Boucher.

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“I hope a little rotation change here will get Chris back on track,” Nurse said. “He gave us an A-plus game every night. I’m expecting extra time because we have to.

Boucher was primarily attached to Achiuwa early in the schedule, and Boucher admits that he enjoys playing with Achiuwa and will miss him while he’s gone, but Achiuwa is on the scene. He also quickly pointed out that he had been successful before he arrived…and that he could do it again.

mganter@postmedia.com

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Gunter: An unforgettable night for the Raptors in Oklahoma City

Source link Gunter: An unforgettable night for the Raptors in Oklahoma City

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