Doug Smith

Older, more tested Knicks end game on 16-2 run to beat Raptors
Toronto’s getting there but it’s a hard, hard road

Raptors get within 2 with 5 1/2 to go and do it with Barnes and Ingram both on the bench.

Add to the list of "holy crap, they didn't just do that" was the Raptors committing an eight-second violation in the last 30 seconds of third quarter
Knicks up 87-82 heading to the fourth

To their credit, Raptors are making it a game, Knicks by 4, halfway through the third
Eventually, though, Toronto's gonna have to go to the bench and they're gonna have to get something

Raptors wanted to limit NY's offensive rebounding and they did, New York only had 3
Of course, New York only had 13 missed shots entirely

The Raptors defence is getting absolutely eviscerated.

Knicks shoot 68 per cent from the field, 50 per cent from three and are up 68-58 at the half

It was, I believe, 37-37 at that point, Raptors just had to take another timeout at 50-39 Knicks

Raptors had to call a timeout because the ball was dead and no one was cutting on offence; they come out of the timeout and commit a five-second violation on the inbounds and then beat back down the court and give up an easy bucket

That's just unacceptable

Thoroughly entertaining quarter with Knicks (OG, 11) up 32-31 on Raptors (BI, 16)

Raptors up 27-19 at second timeout and Brandon Ingram seems to announced his presence with 16 points in about nine minutes on seven shots

For an early March game, it's marquee matchups:
Quickley, Barrett, Ingram, Barnes, Poeltl for Toronto
Brunson, Hart, Anunoby, Bridges, Town for New York.

Only absentees: Murray-Boyles and McBride, neither team on a back-to-back, got a chance to be a good game

A couple of old heads stop by the arena

Doug Smith: Raptors mailbag: What’s wrong with Gradey Dick? Why wasn’t Jakob Poeltl starting? Toronto’s first-round pick from 2023 has fallen behind Jamison Battle in the rotation.

Ye Olde Mailbag, delivered

www.thestar.com/sports/doug-...

After an ugly start, Raptors have settled down and look like they're gonna win going away. Tremendous games by Quickley and Poeltl

Big week looms with Knicks here Tuesday and at Minnesota on Thursday

Raptors show life in third quarter, up six over Washington going into the fourth
Quickley's having a nice offensive game, with 16 and 8; Ingram's got 22 and Poeltl very effective with 18

Raptors somehow climb back into it; down only 3 at the half after giving up 64 in the first 24 minutes.

Sure, the Wizards shot it well but that's a despicable Raptors defensive quarter and they're down 33-25 after one

And they win the challenge
Go figure

Not sure if using a challenge on an out of bounds call up 8 points with about two minutes left in the first quarter is the wisest call but Wizards are doing it

Wizards out-scoring Raptors 12-0 from three in first 4 minutes and, predictably, lead the game by 7

Raptors giving Collin Murray-Boyles the night off to rest his thumb, Poeltl back in to start with Quickley, Barrett, Ingram and Barnes vs. Washington in a couple of minutes

Last call for Ye Olde Mailbag so I can get it knocked off this evening and first thing tomorrow.

Send the questions along to askdoug (at) thestar dot ca if you'd like

If you want to get involved in Ye Olde Mailbag, fire off your emails to askdoug (at) thestar dot ca when you get the chance, please

Raptors somehow surviving two minutes of "don't watch, you'll turn to stone" offence

Helluva third quarter by the Raptors and they lead 90-78 heading to the fourth
BI;s got 18, IQ 17.

CMB has as many as FGs as Wemby and one more rebound than him.
That's insane

Raptors, playing a B2B against a very, very good team, up 10 on Spurs with 15 minutes left
Just like we all saw coming

Excellent half of sports entertainment
Raptors up 59-57 at the break, BI 14, Barnes 13; Wemby had a quiet 4-point game. I doubt that stays that way

We are among greatness as they introduced David Suzuki courtside

14-foot FT from Castle

It's not that Wemby changes shots, he most certainly does that
It's that he changes the "notions" of shots that gets me