A season-high 35 points from Pascal Siakam wasn’t enough as the Toronto Raptors had their win streak snapped at eight games with a 110-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
The Raptors (31-24) had the ball with 12.2 seconds remaining. OG Anunoby grabbed a rebound off Fred VanVleet’s missed three-point attempt, but Denver centre Nikola Jokic blocked Anunoby’s shot.
Jokic led the visitors with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Siakam added 10 rebounds in the loss for his third double-double in four outings.
The game featured 16 lead changes and was tied seven different times.
VanVleet chipped in 25 points, including a late three-pointer that pulled the Raptors to within a point with 18.4 seconds remaining.
Scottie Barnes added 17 as Toronto fell short of extending its longest victory string since reeling off 15 in a row between Jan. 15 and Feb. 10, 2020.
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A Jeff Green dunk with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter gave the Nuggets (31-25) an 8-0 run and 78-77 lead. But a late three-point jumper from VanVleet put the Raptors ahead 86-83 after three quarters.
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Thanks to Jokic, the reigning NBA MVP, the Nuggets led for the entire first quarter. The 7-foot, 284-pound Serbian had his way with the smaller Raptors lineup, scoring 18 points in the first quarter and grabbing three offensive rebounds.
After the first quarter, the Nuggets enjoyed a 31-25 advantage and stayed in front until Siakam hit a short fadeaway jumper to put the Raptors ahead 38-37 with 6:47 remaining in the first half.
A dunk from Anunoby, another Siakam bucket and a three-point jumper from VanVleet pushed the Raptors to a 45-37 lead.
But the Nuggets stayed close, and only a pair of late three-pointers from Siakam and VanVleet, followed by a three-pointer from Denver’s Bones Hyland, left Toronto with a 57-56 advantage at the half.
Thaddeus Young, acquired by the Raptors before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, was in uniform but did not play.
“I’m very excited based on the fact this is a team that plays with a lot of energy,” Young said. “I’ve been a guy that throughout the course of my career has played with a lot of energy, a lot of passion. And they’re doing the same thing.
“When I looked at how the roster was constructed, I was like. ‘Damn, they got a lot of long and athletic guys, I’m with this.’ But the thing is, I think it’s a good mix between veteran leadership and young guys.”
The 33-year-old Young also revealed he has known Anunoby since the latter was a 16-year-old hotshot on Young’s sponsored AAU team in Memphis.
Meanwhile, Canadian Jamal Murray of Kitchener, ON, was put through an on-court workout before the game as he continues to recover from left knee surgery. He has been out of action since last April.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2022.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
