"Right from the tip, you could immediately see the high level of intensity that the Raptors were going to play with defensively throughout the entire game. Immanuel Quickley was picking up early and being pesky on Kitchener's best Jamal Murray, while Scottie Barnes and Jonathan Mogbo were active with their length and physicality on the back end. No matter who was on the court throughout the first half, they were aggressive on defence and cared. Barnes even demanded a challenge - and won it - later in the first half."
"To combat this onslaught from the 2023 champs offensively for Toronto was Brandon Ingram, who was making his in-game debut for Toronto, and it did not disappoint. The 28-year-old would impact the game in so many ways offensively for the team in the first half, finishing with 13 points through two quarters. First, he would nail a top-of-the-key three-pointer off the catch after rising from the weak side. Then, he would use his length and handle to get to the rim before drawing the foul."
Tickets sold out in under an hour at Rogers Arena in Vancouver for the preseason game between the Toronto Raptors and the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets beat the Raptors 112-108, handing Toronto its first loss in Vancouver and dropping the Raptors' record to 6-1. Toronto played with high defensive intensity as Immanuel Quickley pressured Jamal Murray and Scottie Barnes and Jonathan Mogbo used length and physicality. Aggressive defence produced fast-break points and an alley-oop dunk by Mogbo. Defensive rotation lapses allowed Denver to start 8-of-9 and build a 22-13 lead. Brandon Ingram scored 13 first-half points in his Raptors debut.
Read at Raptors Republic
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