Raptors maul hopeless Grizzlies in Memphis, keep pace with others in East

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The Toronto Raptors needed to atone for perhaps the worst loss of the season and did Friday, though not right from the start.

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After some early jitters — way too many fouls, too much complaining and an inability to take care of the ball in Memphis against what’s left of the Grizzlies, the Raptors buckled down and dominated an awful opponent. Kind of like they should have at home against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

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Well, better late than never, especially with a game in Boston against an elite Celtics team looming on Sunday.

Toronto won 128-96, getting a whopping 61 points from its bench.

RJ Barrett led the way offensively with 19 points in the first half and 25 in all, Collin Murray-Boyles scored 19 after setting his high of 20 against the Kings, five other Raptors scored in double figures. GG Jackson led the Grizzlies with 30.

Murray-Boyles and Jamal Shead swung the game with strong play in the second quarter, raising Toronto’s energy up a few notches while shutting down Memphis on defence.

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Memphis had lost 7-of-8 and has tied an NBA record for most players used in a season in this campaign from hell. Toronto’s own Zach Edey only played 11 games in his sophomore season, Ja Morant only 20 (and he looked pretty awful in most of them) and the list goes on and on.

One-time expansion cousin Toronto has now won at least 43 games for just the 12th time in 31 seasons. All but three of those campaigns have come since the We the North Era kicked off in 2013-14, but this is just the second time it’s happened over the last six years. Vancouver/Memphis has won at least 43 11 times in 31 years, including 48 just a year ago and 51 and 56 not too long ago, but things have changed.

Some takeaways from a blowout win by the Raptors:

KEEPING PACE IN THE EAST

The teams Toronto is competing with for playoff and play-in seeding did them no recent favours. Charlotte blew out Phoenix on Thursday night, then beat Indiana on Friday to temporarily move just a game behind the Raptors, who at that point were still early in their game in Memphis.

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Atlanta blew out Brooklyn for its 18th win in 20 games, yes just two losses in the last 20, what a run. Philadelphia survived a battle with Minnesota to stay percentage points ahead of the Raptors. Orlando had a later game in Dallas, while Miami and Philadelphia both have games Saturday.

By taking care of business against a weak opponent, the Raptors at least stayed level with Philadelphia (though the Sixers sit in the sixth and final playoff spot because they own the tiebreaker over the Raptors), 1.5 in front of Charlotte.

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SOMETHING FOR THE SHEAD HEADS

One under the radar area where Shead really provides value is in drawing offensive fouls. We’re not just talking charges taken here, Shead isn’t a maestro at that the way Raptors legend Kyle Lowry was (though he does take a few each season), it’s overall forcing opponents he’s guarding (or those trying to set a screen to free up Shead’s man) to commit an offensive foul.

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Portland’s Toumani Camara leads the NBA with 102 offensive fouls drawn, a new league record, but Shead entered Friday second with 64 and drew another one in the first half.

Canadian Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the only other player with at least 60.

Immanuel Quickley is second on the Raptors with 27 offensive fouls drawn, Barnes, a defensive player of the year candidate, has 18.

Shead tied for 15th with 29 offensive fouls drawn as a rookie (his former teammate and one of his mentors, Davion Mitchell, finished second.

Lowry finished third in offensive fouls drawn in 2018-19 and 2020-21, Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam were 15th and 16th, respectively the year after the championship but no other Raptor has been inside the Top 35 since, until Shead this year.

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AROUND THE RIM

Quickley has not played since March 22, missing seven straight, due to Plantar Fasciitis. It’s still unclear when Toronto’s best outside shooter and top guard will be able to return. The team has gone 4-3 without Quickley so far … Toronto is now finished playing games against Western Conference opponents this season. The Raptors went just 13-17 against the West, the fewest wins of the Toronto/Atlanta/Philadelphia/Charlotte/Orlando/Miami group. Despite the letdown against the Kings, the Raptors have gone 23-6 against teams at or below .500 … Barrett scored at least 20 points for the fourth straight game.

@WolstatSun

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