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The Toronto Raptors have dropped their sixth game in a row. They lose a hard-fought battle against the Orlando Magic 113-103.
This is the Raptors longest losing streak of the season and it is the longest active losing streak in the NBA.
Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-high 31 points for the Raptors and Immanuel Quickley had 10 points to go along with 10 assists.
Quickley has a career-high eight games with 10 or more assists this season with Toronto.
Jordan Nwroa scored 14 points for the Raptors and Bruce Brown Jr. chipped in with 12.
The Raptors were shorthanded for this one once again. They were without All-Star forward Scottie Barnes (left hand), center Jakob Poeltl (left pinkie), forward Chris Boucher (right knee), guard DJ Carton (right ankle) and forward RJ Barrett (personal)
Before the game, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said Barrett will be given as much time as he needs following the death of his younger brother, Nathan Barrett.
The Barrett family said in a statement on Thursday night that Nathan died on Tuesday. The statement did not reveal the cause of his death.
The Raptors honored Nathan Barrett with a moment of silence before the game.
The Raptors came into this matchup having a lot of success against the Magic on their home floor. They had won 17 of its past 20 home meetings with the Magic, including eight of the previous nine.
However, this is a different Magic team. Franz Wagner led the way for Orlando with 19 points and Paolo Banchero scored 17.
Toronto led 69-67 after Nwora’s three-pointer with 4:26 left in the third. But then Banchero scored seven points as the Magic responded with a 14-0 run. Orlando took an 84-73 lead to the fourth and they did not look back.
Next on tap
The Raptors will now head to Orlando to take on the Magic for the final time this season on March 17.
The Magic currently lead the season series 2-0.
More must-reads:
- New Jimmy Butler report raises red flags
- New evidence casts doubt on when Clippers cut ties with fraudulent company
- The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
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'It Ain’t Even Close' – Russell Westbrook Gets Ultimate Compliment From Former NBA Guard
Russell Westbrook has built a legendary career in the NBA. He showed his explosiveness, athleticism and eagerness to give his all every night. He is among the greatest players to ever set foot on an NBA court because of this. When it comes to the discussion of being one of the best point guards, however, the nine-time All-Star is usually ignored. In most cases, some don’t consider him a point guard because of the way he plays. But looking at his stats, Westbrook is one of the most unselfish guards in the modern NBA. It just happens that he scores and rebounds a lot, which isn’t typical for a traditional guard. The former Oklahoma City Thunder star is eighth in the all-time assists list with 9,925. That demonstrates his exceptional facilitation skills. Westbrook is still disregarded as one of the greatest guards of all time despite this. But not to former NBA guard Rashad McCants. On X, McCants expressed his love for Westbrook and claimed that the former UCLA star is the greatest point guard of all time. “No debate after a deep dive into the game of basketball… @russwest44 is the greatest POINT GUARD OF ALL TIME! And it ain’t even close!! Try me!!” McCants posted. The former Minnesota Timberwolves guard credited the way Russell Westbrook dominated the league with his triple-doubles. Through five seasons (2016 to 2021), Westbrook averaged triple-doubles four times and won the MVP award during that span. “Don’t forget what a point guard is!!!!! He ain’t have Kareem and nem either!!! Got traded and started getting 20-20 triple doubles!!! He had 20-20-20… none of the other POINT GUARDs are capable of that!!” The Celtics are linked to Russell Westbrook As great as Russell Westbrook is, his on-court flaws are one of the main reasons why he hasn’t been signed this summer. He’s a veteran guard who relies heavily on his athleticism and doesn’t have a reliable outside jumper. Still, there’s an expectation that he could soon find a team that would be willing to have him as part of their second unit. One of those teams is the Boston Celtics. The 2024 champion isn’t expected to be a threat for the 2025-26 season since they won’t be at full strength (Jayson Tatum to miss the entire season with an Achilles tear). Which is why the front office has moved on from Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. The Celtics can remain competitive with players like Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown. They could also bolster their second unit by adding Westbrook. Fox Sports linked the veteran guard to the Eastern Conference team for a chance to give their bench unit a boost. “At the same time, Westbrook could be himself on the Celtics, coming off the bench as the second unit’s leading scorer.” However, the Celtics have not shown interest in potentially signing Westbrook.
Raiders' Pete Carroll admits disappointing truth about Ashton Jeanty
The Las Vegas Raiders had high hopes and expectations when they took Boise State phenom Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in this year's draft. It's becoming increasingly rare to see running backs drafted so high, but after watching him post one of the single greatest seasons in college football history, he looked more than worthy of that honor. So far, however, the 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist has looked quite mortal in his first two games in the pros. Ashton Jeanty hasn't gotten off to a fast start in the NFL He logged 38 yards and one score in his NFL debut, and then logged just 43 yards on 11 carries in the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. That's why Raiders head coach Pete Carroll had to admit that they needed to take things slowly with Jeanty. While he acknowledged that they hadn't done much to put Jeanty in a position to succeed, he remains optimistic about the RB's prospects. "We're just getting started (with Jeanty)," Carroll told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "He's breaking into the NFL. He's figuring it out. He'll get more carries. We have to run the ball more effectively. We only got (68 yards), and that's not enough. We need more than that. We're bringing (Jeanty) along. More will come." Ashton Jeanty knows he has to do better Jeanty is averaging 2.7 yards per attempt, which is a far cry from his 6.4 yards per carry in college. At least he knows he has to be better, and he believes it's just a matter of time before he gets used to the speed of the pros. "Last week it was on me, I didn't do a good job of reading the plays. I'll put it on myself again this week," Jeanty said. "Just getting used to the speed, honestly. Last week kind of felt like I was moving a little slower, this week felt better. Still not there yet, but once it happens, it will be good." Jeanty continued commenting on the situation on Wednesday. He didn't mince words. Jeanty has posted the fewest rushing yards (81) among players with at least 30 carries, and his next chance to turn the page will come in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders' beatable run defense.
Kyle Shanahan has surprising Brock Purdy update — 49ers are confident in QB situation regardless
Bombshell report expands on culture issues within 0-2 Dolphins
A Wednesday report shared that the Miami Dolphins "did a lot of work in the offseason to try to transform their team culture" before they opened the ongoing campaign with back-to-back losses. For a lengthy piece published on Thursday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN expanded on alleged culture issues that have impacted the Dolphins under head coach Mike McDaniel, who has been in his role since 2022. Mike McDaniel hasn't run a tight ship with Dolphins "Multiple sources in and around the team said tardiness was an issue throughout this past season," Louis-Jacques revealed. "...One current Dolphins player said he believed some captains this past season took advantage of the role. [Cornerback Jalen Ramsey] and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who were two of the eight players voted captains in 2024, were among repeat offenders who received numerous fines throughout the season. Players were often late to practice and meetings, with multiple team sources suggesting it reflected a lack of respect for the first-time coach McDaniel -- who was hesitant to publicly admonish players outside of posting fines." On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted that Dolphins players "believe the culture is better after the franchise moved on from several key players, many of whom did not appear happy there." Specifically, Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith were traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a pick swap in June. Safety Jevon Holland left the Dolphins and signed with the New York Giants in free agency. As for Hill, questions about his dedication to the cause arose when he subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale and then told reporters that he was "out" this past January. He later publicly apologized for his actions but has remained the subject of trade rumors through September. Are McDaniel and Dolphins general manager Chris Grier on the hot seat? Whispers throughout the offseason suggested Dolphins owner Stephen Ross could part ways with McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier if the club finished this season without at least a playoff appearance. McDaniel has yet to guide the Dolphins to a single postseason win, and his team was coming off an 8-9 campaign before it dropped two straight games this month. "A source familiar with Ross' thinking told ESPN this offseason they don't believe McDaniel's and Grier's job security is as simple as 'playoffs or bust,' and reiterated that sentiment after Week 1," Louis-Jacques wrote. "...Although there is a limit to [Ross'] patience with the team's results. After a winless start to the 2025 season, and prime-time games against division opponents coming, there will be increased outside attention on how far Ross' patience will stretch." As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the winless Dolphins as massive 11.5-point road underdogs for Thursday night's game at the 2-0 Buffalo Bills. One can't help but wonder how Ross may react if Miami gets blown out at Buffalo's Highmark Stadium.
Chargers star Khalil Mack's outlook is better than expected
Los Angeles Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack will be out for a few weeks after dislocating his elbow during Monday night’s matchup with the Raiders, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Who will take Khalil Mack's place for the Los Angeles Chargers? The injury is not season-ending, but Los Angeles will need one of its depth outside linebackers to take Mack’s place for the time being. That will likely be veteran Bud Dupree, who replaced Mack on Monday and has significantly more experience than third-year UDFA Caleb Murphy or fourth-round rookie Kyle Kennard. At the moment, it seems unlikely that the Chargers will make a signing to bolster their OLB depth. Mack’s injury is not expected to be long-term, and the pool of free-agent edge-rushers has suddenly dried up after both Preston Smith and Jadeveon Clowney signed with new teams this week. The Chargers did host their rival's former draft bust on a visit. Instead, the Chargers’ plan will likely be as follows: Dupree will start, with Murphy receiving a bump in snaps as the No. 3 edge-rusher and Kennard making his NFL debut after two healthy scratches to start the year. The team was comfortable with only four active outside linebackers in Weeks 1 and 2, so it may not feel the need to make an elevation from the practice squad. Mack, 34, was quiet in Week 1 against the Chiefs but looked better on Monday with one sack and one tackle for loss in Las Vegas. He re-signed with the Chargers this offseason on a one-year, $18M deal after six sacks in 2024.
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