Game #25: Denver Nuggets 106 (16-7) - Toronto Raptors 103 (20-5)

[The Claw Reborn]

Just finished the game. Couldn't buy a bucket, couldn't make a pass, and probably the worst officiating I've seen all year against a really good team with jokic playing out of his mind..and we lost on the final possession.

We're still really really good and I expect to take the frustration out on philly

I wanted to blame officiating but yet cant make that excuse if each Kyle and Van Vleet could have made just one more three.

Like I said, this team cannot afford having two of their Point Guards struggle especially Nurse preferred both playing together in some crucial stretches of the game.

[The Claw Reborn]

Plus totally unsual for Danny to miss two consecutive shots in a matter of 5 seconds in between.

[inthepaint]

Another thing, if you let a big like Jokic dominate you like he did tonight, then goodluck wednesday against Embiid lol.

Valanciunas is simply not good enough. He is a horrible, horrible defender. And it's not like he's a great offensive player either lol. He misses way too many bunnies.

And Ibaka is just way too small to guard bigs like Jokic and Embiid and Cousins etc..

The Raptors need to make a trade.

Nope. They don't need to make a trade, that's just you over-reacting again. Ibaka is the Centre in the most effecive 5-man unit in the NBA right now. He's averaging 16.5 points 7.5 boards and 20.5 PER for a league average of 15. JV is not perfect but he's averaging 12.5 pts and 7.2 boards in limited minutes with a PER of 24. One would be hard pressed to find a combo of starter/backup centres that are doing better. They just happened to lose by 3 to the best team in west with help of the refs while still leading the game with 3.5 games ahead of everyone.

[The Great One]

Vacant? wtf?

Courtesy of Delon's IG, this is a picture of DeMar DeRozan's old locker, which was left vacant until recently and now belongs to "The Boy" aka Drake, apparently. pic.twitter.com/10aPh8VR31

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 4, 2018

[KeonClark]

Vacant? wtf?

Courtesy of Delon's IG, this is a picture of DeMar DeRozan's old locker, which was left vacant until recently and now belongs to "The Boy" aka Drake, apparently. pic.twitter.com/10aPh8VR31

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 4, 2018

That's just all around cringey lol

[Mitch P]

Due for a loss sometime and this one had all of the necessary ingredients. The Raptors are an imperfect team, as are all of their rivals. I really do find it frustrating when a team has a cold night shooting and stubbornly won't take it inside more. That is the trend all over the league now however and I think most of our losses will come with sub 30% 3 point shooting combined with a hostile whistle. The struggles of FVV and CJ have become so persistent that something else must be tried. Delon Wright is showing some good signs. I'd like to see him with more minutes. If I had to choose between losing this one and the Philly game I'd take this one any day. I'd love to see Philly's balloon punctured with a solid win Wednesday.

[KeonClark]

I have a different perspective than most here I think.

I thought the Raps played pretty well. Denver hit a lot of tough shots. Raptors couldn't hit anything.. yet they still tied it and took the lead before the refs did what the refs did.

Hell, even CJ knocked down a big one.

The Raptors were seriously engaged and wanted that win. I don't think they played too poorly.. they just couldn't buy a bucket which was weird being at home. They were locked in defensively as best as they could in that second half. Denver and specifically Jokic was just a really hard match up.

It sucks to lose.. but I like that they fought hard in it and almost/should have won.

Best loss of the season in my opinion.

The hurt is that we'll probably get swept by the Nuggets now. That second game is going to be a tough one just because of the schedule.

They were engaged late but spent the first quarter sleep walking and the 2nd and part of the 3rd pressing. The 4th was really the only stretch of good ball. Amazing they made it to the final possession

[KeonClark]

I wanted to blame officiating but yet cant make that excuse if each Kyle and Van Vleet could have made just one more three.

Like I said, this team cannot afford having two of their Point Guards struggle especially Nurse preferred both playing together in some crucial stretches of the game.

I wasnt even sure if Kyle had a point


Like I keep.saying, everything went against us against a 15-7 team and it nearly went to ot

[Mitch P]

That's just all around cringey lol

This Drake nonsense is about the only thing I really dislike about the Raptors. It will be even more embarrassing in a few years when he's no longer popular. Rappers don't tend to go on forever like a Sinatra. Like if the Warriors had embraced MC Hammer 20 years ago.

[The Great One]

That's just all around cringey lol

Yep. Theyre treating DeRozan like hes some royalty. Wonder what Kawhi thinks of this? and i wonder if this is normal? is Jordans locker in Chicago also vacant?

[KeonClark]

This Drake nonsense is about the only thing I really dislike about the Raptors. It will be even more embarrassing in a few years when he's no longer popular. Rappers don't tend to go on forever like a Sinatra. Like if the Warriors had embraced MC Hammer 20 years ago.

Drakes been around for almost 10 years lol mc hammer was a one hit wonder that are not alike.

That said, "the boy" is just cringey as hell even worse that it's for drake who doesnt play basketball..just give demars spot to fucking Danny green like a normal operating company. Did they leave a vigil with candles and his picture too? Lol

[Mitch P]

Yep. Theyre treating DeRozan like hes some royalty. Wonder what Kawhi thinks of this? and i wonder if this is normal? is Jordans locker in Chicago also vacant?

Unless I"ve missed it somewhere I've noticed that Lowry has been conspicuous in his lack of praise for Kawhi. Not negative at all....just not any raves. I suspect that is out of deference to his old friend as it would sound like he was saying Kawhi is better...which obviously he is. I doubt Kawhi cares at all and I'm sure they're fine in the locker room.

[Mitch P]

Drakes been around for almost 10 years lol mc hammer was a one hit wonder that are not alike.

That said, "the boy" is just cringey as hell even worse that it's for drake who doesnt play basketball..just give demars spot to fucking Danny green like a normal operating company. Did they leave a vigil with candles and his picture too? Lol

Couldn't we just lend him to the Maple Leafs for the rest of the season?

[S.R.]

I mean they're going to lose at least once every five or six games, probably not worth bursting your pancreas over it.

[inthepaint]

I have a different perspective than most here I think.

I thought the Raps played pretty well. Denver hit a lot of tough shots. Raptors couldn't hit anything.. yet they still tied it and took the lead before the refs did what the refs did.

Hell, even CJ knocked down a big one.

The Raptors were seriously engaged and wanted that win. I don't think they played too poorly.. they just couldn't buy a bucket which was weird being at home. They were locked in defensively as best as they could in that second half. Denver and specifically Jokic was just a really hard match up.

It sucks to lose.. but I like that they fought hard in it and almost/should have won.

Best loss of the season in my opinion.

The hurt is that we'll probably get swept by the Nuggets now. That second game is going to be a tough one just because of the schedule.

You're right. You know, this year the difference is any time I see them lose like this (like the loss in OT to the celtics and the Pistons one), the feeling I have is it would be extremely difficult for an opponent to pull this off 4 times in a 7 game series. (That said, that's also the feeling I had after the GSW win lol)