Raptors film room: Has the team lost faith in their offensive process?

"This, then, was Toronto's era of humiliation. Frustrated with his team's play, Ingram threw a wristband late in the third quarter and received a technical. The Raptors launched, then, their final era: the time of the fake comeback. Mamukelashvili hit a triple, but Ingram failed to corral a drive and fouled."

"Toronto was down only 10 points entering the final quarter. Quickley immediately cut it to seven with a triple, and the Raptors turned to a zone defence, leading to a turnover. RJ Barrett scurried to a layup in the fourth. Barnes' defence remained brilliant. Jamison Battle, Toronto's mandated closer, hit a triple."

"The Raptors made a game of it, at the very least. They cut it to two. But Murray poured in mid-rangers over Mamukelashvili, or drove past him and opened the glass for tip-ins. Meanwhile, Toronto created strong triples for Quickley and Mamukelashvili, who missed them. After Toronto's manic flurry, the lead was once again 10."

Toronto suffered a significant loss to New Orleans, dropping to the 7th seed for the first time since November. The Raptors mounted a fourth-quarter comeback, cutting the deficit to two points, but ultimately fell short as the Pelicans' Murray dominated with mid-range shots and layups. Toronto's defense improved late in the game, and players like Quickley and Barrett contributed, but missed crucial three-pointers from Quickley and Mamukelashvili proved costly. The team now faces playoff positioning through the play-in tournament while remaining relatively healthy with limited reinforcements available.

Read at Raptors Republic