"While I still find the schedule this season a bit strange - with multiple games against the same opponents early - it does provide the opportunity to see what adjustments a team can make against an opponent they've already faced. So far, after Toronto barely squeaked out a win in their first matchup, it's been the Hornets that have made the necessary adjustments and the Raptors who have failed to respond."
"This game started out with the defensive wrecking-ball, Scottie Barnes, taking the role of offensive powerhouse, as he opened the game with a mid-range pull up. Lamelo Ball, who was benched throughout the end of the fourth quarter and overtime in their last matchup, responded immediately, driving to the rim for a strong finish underneath. Directly after that bucket, just 40 seconds into the game, the game was put on hold due to a disco party breaking out."
"Well, something like that, there was actually a strobe light malfunction in the arena that delayed the game for over 10 minutes. Either way, the delay didn't seem to slow down Barnes as he immediately knocked down a three and then got deep into the paint for a turnaround jumper. The response? Once again Ball, this time with a beautiful give-and-go cut before dumping it off to Kalkbrenner for the easy under the basket hoop."
The Raptors played the Hornets for a third time in two weeks, with the Hornets showing clearer adjustments after a close first matchup. Scottie Barnes began the game aggressively on offense, while LaMelo Ball answered with drives and creative passing. A strobe light malfunction caused a delay of over ten minutes, but the momentum stayed with both teams as Barnes continued scoring and Ball set up teammates. Jakob Poeltl was the first Raptor to score but struggled defensively as Ryan Kalkbrenner converted weakside opportunities and scored most of Charlotte's early points.
Read at Raptors Republic
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