Who's Playing
Matchup: Toronto Raptors at San Antonio Spurs
Records: Raptors (0-1), Spurs (1-0)
Where to Watch
Date: Saturday, Dec. 26
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: Sportsnet (Canada), KENS 5 or League Pass (USA)
Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
Game Preview
Toronto and San Antonio's starts to the season could not have been more opposite.
The Raptors led by as many as 11 points in the first half of their opening night contest against the New Orleans Pelicans but looked completely out of sync in the second half, dropping their first opening night game since 2012.
"(The third quarter) zapped our energy pretty big time,'' Nick Nurse said after the loss. ''We did seem to lose a little energy and maybe ran out of a little gas, too.''
The Spurs, on the other hand, spoiled a 44-point effort from Ja Morant, defeating the Grizzlies in Memphis to get started on the right foot. San Antonio looked good on opening night, limiting turnovers (10), knocking down 3s (40 percent) and getting to the line (shot 29 free throws). They finished the game with 28 assists and had seven players in double-figures scoring, led by former Raptor guard DeMar DeRozan's 28 points.
''I thought our guys, our young guys competed hard, really showed themselves well for the first game we played together,'' Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said after the 131-119 win. ''At the end, I think we were probably a little bit tired."
Things 2 watch
1) 3-point shot
When the Raptors are hitting 3s, they're one of the NBA's elite offences. In the second quarter against the Pelicans, they shot 8-for-14 from deep — things looked great. The second half, not so much. The Raptors went 3-for-22 from deep in the second half. Toronto has to find a way to create offence when the long ball isn't falling or it will be a long season.
2) Turnovers
Not only was Toronto's shot not falling, it also struggled to hold onto the rock. The team finished with 20 turnovers, which will make it tough to beat any team on any given night.
Injury Report
Check back closer to game time.
Game Notes
- DeMar DeRozan played nine seasons in Toronto, becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in games played and points scored.
- San Antonio's first-ever game in the AT&T Center was against the Raptors on 11/1/02.
- Aron Baynes spent his first three NBA seasons with the Spurs and won a 2014 NBA championship.
Last Time They Played
Date: Jan. 26, 2020
Score: Raptors 110, Spurs 106
Raptors: Pascal Siakam - 35 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
Spurs: DeMar DeRozan - 14 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds
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