After losing three of the last four games, the Raptors need to get back on track to avoid the Play-In Tournament.
Coming off a 119-94 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Intuit Dome Wednesday night, the Toronto Raptors face off against the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at home in Scotiabank Arena. Losers of three of their last four games, the Raptors need to get back on the track of winning games, or else they will continue to plummet into the Play-In Tournament.
Toronto currently sits as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference; only half a game separates the Raptors from the Atlanta Hawks for the fifth seed, but 1.5 games separates them from the Miami Heat for the 10th seed as well. Only 10 more games remain in the regular season, and the Raptors need to build momentum if they want to have a chance to win a playoff series for the first time since the bubble in 2020.
Toronto Raptors forward/center Collin Murray-Boyles (12) | © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Durability has been an issue for the Raptors all season, and as one player comes back, another goes out. Standout rookie lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles missed 11 straight games due to a left thumb sprain, and in the first game he was back in the lineup, the Raptors lost three starters in Immanuel Quickley (plantar fasciitis), Brandon Ingram (heel), and Jakob Poeltl (lower back strain injury management).
Against the Clippers, Ingram and Poeltl returned to action, while Quickley continued to sit. Going into the Pelicans game, the official NBA injury report isn’t any more promising than before.
Quickley, the Raptors' starting point guard, has officially been ruled out against the Pelicans due to the plantar fasciitis issue in his right foot. He is joined only by Trayce Jackson-Davis, who is out with right knee tendinitis, while New Orleans will be without Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Bryce McGowens.
With Quickley out for his third-straight game, second-year point guard Jamal Shead will continue to fulfill the starting role. When the Raptors played the Pelicans just over two weeks ago, Murray received a technical foul for standing over and taunting Shead in the fourth quarter. As entertaining as it would have been to see the two go head-to-head for a full game, the matchup will have to wait until next season.
Having Shead in the starting role allows for more minutes for the former No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Markelle Fultz, who is on a 10-day contract with the Raptors. He was signed by the Raptors 905 G-League Affiliate team and played a few games before ultimately being called up to the senior team. Over 25 minutes of action in the last two games, he has combined for just two points, but seven assists. He was praised by Shead and head coach Darko Rajakovic for his commitment to the system and getting his teammates involved.