The Toronto Raptors really have some fight in them

Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors may be short two key players, but they showed absolutely no chill while playing against both the Lakers and Clippers.

They followed up their surprising win against the Lakers with a great battle against the Clippers, which saw them finish the first quarter with a 23-15 lead after starting the game 2-9 behind. The team from the cold North worked hard throughout the first half and had some great defensive possessions along with some excellent ball movement – showcasing the team basketball that has been pushing them up top in their strong start to the season. 

Siakam continued to prove worthy of his contract extension. Chris Boucher, who was instrumental in the fourth quarter in the victory against the Lakers, had another solid outing for the Raptors.

The Clippers, though, are not a team to go away easily. Kawhi Leonard had a pretty slow start against his former teammates, scoring his first four points from the free throw line while missing his first five shots. Lou Williams picked up the slack for the finals MVP with 14 points in the first half, which saw them finish the first half ahead 51-46. Patrick Beverley was a nuisance for the opposing team, as usual, and managed to even force two free throws after taking the ball in the closing seconds of the first half.

The third quarter saw the Clippers go on one wild sequence where they missed eight shots in a single possession. The Raptors took advantage of the chaos and managed to take the lead back midway through the third quarter. They had their own sequences of silly turnovers as well, especially during fast breaks, which prevented them from taking any real advantage. They did manage to close out the third quarter with a couple of baskets, though, and gave themselves a 78-73 lead entering the final stanza.

The fourth quarter started well for the Clippers, who used three blocks in the first three minutes to stave off Raptors scoring while getting points on the other end. Kawhi may have entered the quarter with only 7 points, but his teammates carried the load.

The Raptors couldn’t buy a bucket to start, only making one of their first eight shots in the quarter. The Clippers kept up with strong defense until the final two minutes of the game, but Chris Boucher was able to cut the lead to 4 with 1:40 left. The Raptors continued to struggle in the closing seconds, and will regret not being able to put the Clippers away when the homes team weren’t at their very best.

Leonard finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. Lou Williams finished with 21 points, and Montrezl Harrell was a force of nature with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks, and 2 steals. They did just enough for the 98-88 victory.

The Rockets’ former MVPs take care of business

The young New Orleans Pelicans looked like they might charge off and take away the game from the Houston Rockets in the fourth quarter of today’s game, but James Harden had other ideas.

The former MVP had a vintage performance in the fourth quarter, taking over the game and scoring 13 straight points to help blow the game wide open. He’s averaging 40.6 PPG over his previous 8 games.

Russell Westbrook put on a good performance as well, and finished the game with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. He continued to stay cold from beyond the arc, though, and made 1 of 8 from distance.

JJ Redick played well for the Pelicans, scoring 24 including a big three pointer that brought the Pelicans right back into the game in the fourth. Jrue Holiday was also one rebound shy of a triple-double, with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists The Pelicans, who were missing Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, were never able to fully recover in the 122-116 loss.

Celtics win eight straight

The Boston Celtics are working their hardest to weather the injury to a resurgent Gordon Hayward, and they pulled out their eight straight victory in an entertaining contest against the Dallas Mavericks.

Kemba Walker led the Celtics with 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, and made three big shots from deep in the fourth quarter to help seal the game. Jaylen Brown helped out immensely with 25 points and 11 boards.

Luka Doncic simply didn’t have enough help tonight, and his 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists were not enough. His Euro Duo partner, Kristaps Porzingis, was cleared to play in the game but laid an egg, scoring 4 points while shooting 1 of 11 (1 of 4 from deep).

The Andrew Wiggins redemption tour continues

Andrew Wiggins is having a pretty good season, giving the Minnesota Timberwolves hope that he might finally live up to the massive contract that they gave first pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He’s currently averaging 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks in the current campaign and posted 33 points in the Timberwolves’ 120-116 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Karl Anthony-Towns did his bit, too, scoring 25 points, pulling down 8 boards and dishing out 6 assists.

Blake Griffin and the Pistons fell behind early thanks for a 41-26 first quarter, and never found a way to come back. Luke Kennard led the team with 25 points and 7 rebounds.

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