TORONTO — Despite a late game comeback, the Toronto Raptors didn’t have enough to take down the Dallas Mavericks, losing 125-118, on Saturday night in Scotiabank Arena.
When asked pregame, what makes the Mavericks a unique matchup, Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković kept it simple:
“Luka Doncic. Kyrie Irving. Klay Thompson,” said Rajaković with amusement. “They’re just an outstanding team … three Hall of Famers.”
The trio lived up to their reputation, with Doncic putting up a 30-point triple-double, Irving dropping 29, and Thompson contributing with 20, as they all had stretches throughout the matchup where they showed their prowess.
It looked like the Raptors were going to fall completely flat to the reigning Western Conference champs, as they trailed by 24 points at the 4:20 mark of the third. Minutes earlier, Rajaković received a technical foul. It’s a “secret” whether his outburst at the referees was in fact in an effort to give his team a spark, but that’s what it seemed to do, as the Raptors would go on a 34-16 run to end the third and start the fourth.
After chiseling away at the lead, Toronto got it to a five-point game with 1:35 left, behind Scottie Barnes orchestrating a balanced attack on his way to a career-high 14 assists. But the Mavericks showed why they’re a true contender, as they sealed the deal to secure their seventh straight win.
“I don’t think that we played hard enough in the first half. I think we played really hard in the second half … Against that type of opponent, you have to bring it for 48 minutes,” said Rajaković, noting the team didn’t have the right “disposition” to start.
For Dallas, Irving was looking to “send a message” to start the game, said Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd — an assessment that the star point guard later agreed with.
Irving got it started in the first quarter, putting up 16 points on 4-5 shooting from distance. That included capitalizing on a no-look dish from Doncic, and then hitting three bombs within a 1:05 minute stretch.
Doncic kept his rhythm in the second quarter as a distributor, where he collected five of his eventual 11 assists, as the Mavericks started playing around with a double-digit lead.
But in true Doncic fashion, he also hit a circus-shot to finish the first half and give the Mavericks their biggest lead at the time, 70-54.
Doncic’s hot shooting continued in the third quarter, where he started the first three minutes with three makes from downtown, helping Dallas clinch their first 20-point lead of the night.
But as the Mavericks went up by 24, that’s when the Raptors hit their stride with their backs against the wall.
“Just a change of energy,” said Gradey Dick, who finished with a team-high 27 points, with 15 of those coming in the second half. “Obviously, when we have energy like that, where people are making extra effort plays, second chance points, that energy, it’s contagious, and it gets that momentum.”
Leading that charge was Barnes, who closed out the third quarter with a three-ball to cap off a 13-2 run to finish the frame. At six-foot-nine, Barnes has been taking on more point guard responsibilities, especially with Immanuel Quickley’s continued absence, as the team misses out on having a “true point guard,” said Kelly Olynyk, who made his season debut after dealing with a back strain to start the year.
Rajaković credits Barnes for “always making the right decision,” whether that be to attack or to find his teammates. To go along with his 14 dimes and a team-high eight rebounds, he finished with 19 points and a +10 plus/minus.
“I’m always pointing out that Scottie is one of the most unselfish players I’ve been around,” said Rajaković. “He’s one of the most elite players in this league and we’re lucky to have him.”
For Dick, he says Barnes is “a superstar for a reason,” calling out how he’s focused on the “betterment” of the team.
“It’s rare these days to see a guy like that, that wants to get assists and wants you to shoot it when he passes the ball,” said the sophomore guard. “It’s motivating, inspiring.”
In Olynyk’s return, he mentions how he’s been impressed with the growth of the Raptors’ young core, with the team playing three rookies tonight. One that particularly stands out is big man Jonathan Mogbo, who had eight points that featured a highlight alley-oop slam. However, what stood out most was his defensive versatility by spending time guarding both Doncic and Irving.
“His skill set will definitely compliment mine, and mine will compliment his, so I’m definitely looking forward to that,” said Olynyk, who expects to see more of Mogbo playing alongside him in the second unit.
The loss to the more talented and experienced Mavericks drops the Raptors to a 7-17 record, good enough for 12th in the Eastern Conference. Looking ahead, the Raptors will be back on Monday at Scotiabank Arena, this time taking on an East heavyweight in the New York Knicks.