Red-hot Raptors fade late, fall in Portland​on March 17, 2025 at 12:48 am

A late Portland Trail Blazers rally was enough to finally cool down the red-hot Toronto Raptors. Barely.

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Trailing for most of the game, often by double digits, the Blazers consistently fought back, often thanks to a huge three-point shot advantage, and a 10-4 run late in the fourth turned the game. Portland won 105-102. The teams traded misses inside of the final minute, but rookie Donovan Clingan grabbed a huge rebound for Portland with 22.6 seconds remaining then split two free throws to give Toronto one more chance. The Raptors took advantage, with Jamison Battle hitting a three-pointer, but Deni Avidja made both of his free throws, and Matisse Thybulle, the team’s best defender, blocked Orlando Robinson’s three-point attempt at the buzzer. Thybulle was making his season debut after missing nearly a full year due to injury.

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Toronto had won three straight and 6-of-7, inexplicably becoming one of the NBA’s hottest teams, but sat down a dominant Jakob Poeltl for half of the fourth quarter, strongly assisting Portland’s comeback hopes. Poeltl had scored 19 points in 25 minutes, including his first three-pointer since the 2020-21 season and has been Toronto’s most important player in terms of on and off the court splits all year.

Anfernee Simons scored 22 for Portland, including a flurry in the fourth, Toumani Camara had 21, Avidja 19. The team hit 18 three-pointers, compared to only 10 by the Raptors. Ochai Agbaji, playing for the first time in March, matched Poeltl’s 19, while Scottie Barnes had 16 points, six rebounds, six assists and six steals.

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Portland had won 11-of-16 games before losing five straight heading into Sunday. Still, the team has already won more games than it managed in two of the last three seasons and is a decent squad, moreso with the lockdown specialist Thybulle back in the mix.

Portland is 17-16 at home and Toronto is terrible on the road, yet led most of the way.

Toronto dropped to 23-44, Portland improved to 29-39.

Immanuel Quickley was rested, RJ Barrett was out with an illness, while Gradey Dick and Ja’Kobe Walter remained sidelined due to injuries.

The Raptors got out to a great start, building a 22-6 lead, though Portland cut the advantage in half through one quarter.

Another blistering start, this time in the second quarter, put Portland on its heels. Toronto began the quarter on a 7-0 run and the lead stayed around double digits for most of the frame until the Blazers finally woke up the crowd late in the half. An 8-0 Blazers run pulled them within three. Toronto’s Jamal Shead hit a three-pointer, but Avidja responded with one of his own just before the buzzer, sending the teams into the break tied 52-52.

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The Blazers could not keep Barnes off the free throw line or find an answer for Poeltl, but Portland dominated the boards, capitalized on way too many Raptors turnovers and did well from three-point range to stay in the game.

Toronto got the jump on the Blazers for the third quarter in a row, increasing the lead back to 15, but a 10-0 run by Portland to close the third made it just a five-point game heading into the fourth.

LOTTERY LOOKOUT

A new feature the rest of the way makes its debut here now: Taking a look at notable outcomes by teams Toronto is jockeying with in the lottery race.

San Antonio won for the second time in three games Saturday after dropping four of five. That kept the Spurs four wins up on Toronto, but Brooklyn and Chicago both lost games decided by a single basket.

Philadelphia beat Dallas on Sunday for just its second win in eight games, putting the Sixers just one win behind the Raptors and Brooklyn also won, matching the Sixers at 23 wins.

@WolstatSun

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