Toronto Raptors Sneak Past Phoenix Suns in 122-115 Win to Snap Two-Game Skid
In a crucial game for both teams as the NBA playoffs quickly approach, the Toronto Raptors were able to get back on track as they used a fourth-quarter push to snap their two-game losing streak and keep right in the playoff hunt in the East.
Brandon Ingram Lights Up Phoenix in Win
After going 1-4 over their past 5 games and falling further and further down the standings, Raptors star Brandon Ingram made sure Toronto wouldn’t slide any further with a marvelous offensive game. Ingram would score a game-high 36 points and grab 7 rebounds in a bounce-back performance. Ingram had been struggling since the start of March, as he’s averaging just 17 points on 39% shooting from the field and 30% from three.
The Raptors got whatever they wanted on offense in the win, as they shot 54% from the field and 52% from three for the game. Toronto also dominated from close range against the undersized Suns, as they scored 60 points in the paint. The fourth quarter would be when the Raptors’ offense was at its best, as they outscored the Suns 36 to 23 in the penultimate period to pull out the win.
The Raptors got solid offensive performances across the board for the game, as 5 players finished in double figures in the win. Both RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley would be key factors in the win, with Barrett scoring 22 points and 6 rebounds, while Quickley scored 17 points. While the Raptors’ bench contributed well by chipping in 27 points, the starting five accounted for much of the offensive scoring for Toronto, with 4 of the 5 starters scoring over 10 points in the win.
Booker and Green Continue to Gel Together Despite Loss
Although both Devin Booker and Jalen Green have not shared the court much this season due to injuries to each player, their recent play shows the potential this backcourt possesses for the foreseeable future. Both players would combine for 65 of the Suns’ 115 total points in the game, with Booker scoring 31 points and Green scoring 34 points. This marked the second straight game that Green and Booker scored over 30 points apiece.
It’s been an especially hot stretch for Green, who has seemed to finally find his rhythm on offense after missing a majority of the season due to multiple injuries. Tonight’s game marked the 5th time in the last 6 games that Green has scored over 20 points. The month of March has been a great month for the former Houston Rocket so far, as he’s averaging 24 points per game while shooting 45% from the field.
Outside of Booker and Green, the Suns lacked any other key contributors on offense to pull out the win on the road. Only one other player cracked double digits in the game in Grayson Allen, who scored 15 points off the bench for Phoenix. The offensive production was especially sparse for the other three Suns starters, as only Royce O’Neal finished as the third leading scorer in that group with just 6 points on 2 for 9 shooting from the floor.
Raptors Still Stuck in Play-In Position Following Win
It’ll be a bit of a wait for the Raptors to climb their way out of the play-in tournament, even with a win, as they still sit half a game back of the Miami Heat for the 6th-place position in the Eastern Conference standings. It’s been a bit of a fall from grace for the Raptors over the past two weeks, as they’ve gone 4-6 over their past 10 games to drop from a comfortable position at 4th-place in the East, to now down to the top play-in spot.
For the Suns, they’ll also stay put in the standings in the West, as they remain firmly in the 7th-place position as well. It’s been the same story for the Suns all season, as they’ve hovered solidly between the 6th-place and 8th-place spots all season. The Suns’ climb out of the play-in tournament will be a bit of a steeper journey compared to the Raptors, as they remain a game and a half back of the Minnesota Timberwolves for that much-coveted 6th-place position in the West.
