ORLANDO, Fla. – The Toronto Raptors are heading home from the Sunshine State frustrated after a 130-120 loss against the Orlando Magic inside the Kia Center.
The game pitted two of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league against each other and while the Raptors put up a 25 per cent performance, the Magic pulled out a trick up their sleeve by making 50 per cent of their looks from downtown.
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“There was a couple of miscommunications but hats off to Paolo (Banchero) getting downhill and finding his teammates. He got downhill off of the screen and roll, and he collapsed the defense a little bit… and he had shooters on the wing that knocked shots down. Anthony Black, Jalen Suggs, and Desmond Bane they shot the ball really well,” Raptors forward Brandon Ingram said postgame.
Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane reacts after a three-point basket against the Toronto Raptors. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Raptors Couldn’t Defend Perimeter vs. Magic
In particular, the Raptors let Magic shooting guard Desmond Bane get hot and had no answer for his shooting. Bane made 7 of 10 looks from beyond the arc, and that ultimately willed the Magic back into the game. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic also pointed out some calls that didn’t go the team’s way that could have swayed momentum in the Magic’s favour.
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“That’s the beauty of the NBA, right? On any given night a team can get hot and shoot the ball. Obviously, we knew that Desmond Bane, he’s a really good shooter. Tonight, he was seven for 10 from the three-point line. That was a big, big thing during the game. We had a 10-point lead in the third quarter when travel was missed. Obviously, travel was missed,” Rajakovic said postgame.
“That ended up to three points there. That ended up with my technical foul. That ended up with a couple of things that should not be happening. Those plays are big plays. Those plays are big plays. They’re momentum changing plays, and we all need to be better. It starts with coaches. Starts with players. But referees, they need to be better as well.”
Despite his dissatisfaction of some of the calls, Rajakovic praised Bane, a former player he coached with the Memphis Grizzlies, for his performance.
“He did a great job there of playmaking, getting to his spots on the floor, shooting three, shooting his mid-range shots. He played a great game,” Rajakovic said of Bane.
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The Raptors will have to go back to the drawing board as they take on the Utah Jazz. Tip-off is scheduled for tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET inside Scotiabank Arena. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.
Read More Toronto Raptors On SI Stories
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/raptors/onsi as One Reason Raptors Lost vs. Magic.