Raptors stung again in listless road loss
Toronto musters its lowest offensive output all season
CHARLOTTE • DeMarre Carroll was convinced the day off before Friday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets after a humbling loss in Philadelphia would be the perfect tonic.
The expected energy boost never appeared.
The Raptors looked listless and lacking in the energy department as they lost their second game in three on this three- game trip through the Eastern Conference.
Kemba Walker, on the other hand, a player who has been snubbed before around all- star time, seems determined not to let that happen again and was the focal point of an all- out offensive blitz by the Hornets, who won this one going away, 113-78.
The 78 points represented the lowest output by the Raptors offence this season and came hard on the heels of an 89-point output two nights earlier, the team’s third lowest scoring night of the campaign.
Walker had 32 points after three quarters in a head- to- head matchup with Kyle Lowry and did not see the floor in the fourth. Lowry will be among that group that includes Walker, John Wall of Washington and Isaiah Thomas of Boston in the hunt for a reserve spot on the Eastern Conference all-star team.
Walker made a statement, going 6- for- 9 from three while chipping in with eight assists and four rebounds.
Lowry, who got in some early foul trouble, never really seemed to get in a good rhythm, finishing with 24 points.
There was a little revenge factor to this game for the Hornets after the Raptors came in here in early November and came back from a 10- point deficit after three to win on the strength of a strong fourth quarter from DeMar DeRozan.
But like his backcourt mate Lowry, DeRozan never settled into much of a groove Friday. He left the game in the third with 23 points and the game out of reach and never did come back.
The only other member of the Raptors to score more than five points was Jonas Valanciunas, who had 11, all but three of them in the first half.
Before the game, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford made mention of the Raptors’ two scoring leaders and how they go, so goes the Raptors — then added the improvement in Terrence Ross’ game had caught his eye.
Clifford clearly relayed t he same information to his team because Ross barely saw an open shot or got an uncontested look at the basket all night. He finished with three points.
Without Patrick Patterson, without Lucas Nogueira and with Jared Sullinger playing limited minutes as he works his way back i nto game shape, the Raptors spent a good part of the evening playing small.
Casey was compelled to go with a starting lineup of Carroll at power forward and Norm Powell at small forward.