Remember when everyone said this year's Raptors would struggle? When everyone said there was no way they'd compete without Kawhi Leonard? Well, no one told the actual team that, and now the Raptors are piling up records.
Before the NBA's All-Star Weekend, they won a franchise-best 15 in a row until it was snapped on Feb. 12 by the Nets. Out of the break, they've won the first two and Sunday's game was a dominating, wire-to-wire 127-81 win.
Yes, the 46-point blowout — which was 49 points at one point — set a new franchise record for the largest margin of victory.
Here's a quick look into the numbers as the Raptors keep rolling and won spectacular fashion.
6
Toronto had six players in double figures, including Kyle Lowry who had his sixth consecutive double-double — a career-best streak — with 16 points and 11 assists. Matt Thomas came off the bench and chipped in 17 fourth-quarter points. Chris Bouchard just missed out on a double-double as he had nine points and 11 rebounds.
| PLAYER | FGM-FGA | 3PM-3PA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pascal Siakam | 8-12 | 1-4 | 21 |
| Matt Thomas | 6-8 | 5-7 | 17 |
| Kyle Lowry | 6-13 | 3-8 | 16 |
| Serge Ibaka | 7-12 | 1-2 | 15 |
| Terence Davis | 5-10 | 3-6 | 13 |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | 5-7 | 0-0 | 12 |
57
The Raptors absolutely owned the glass, out-rebounding the Pacers by a 57-39 margin, including 47 defensive rebounds. Serge Ibaka led the team with 15 rebounds as each player, except for Malcolm Miller, collected at least one.
31
While the final margin of victory was 46, the Raptors led by 31 at halftime and held the Pacers to a season-low for first-half points. Lowry netted 11 of his points in the second quarter while Siakam and Ibaka dropped 11 each in the first. Of note, the Pacers went 4 for 23 in the first quarter — showing how the night would go for the team battling for a playoff spot and facing the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference.
Perfect end to the half pic.twitter.com/bdQTQOdQ5C
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 24, 2020
9
Scotiabank Arena has become a hostile environment for opponents. Since the start of the season, Toronto has only lost seven games on its floor and Sunday's win marks the ninth straight win at home.
| Date | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 12 | Wizards | 140-111 |
| Jan. 22 | Sixers | 107-95 |
| Jan. 28 | Hawks | 130-114 |
| Feb. 2 | Bulls | 129-102 |
| Feb. 5 | Pacers | 119-118 |
| Feb. 8 | Nets | 119-118 |
| Feb. 10 | Timberwolves | 137-126 |
| Feb. 21 | Suns | 118-101 |
| Feb. 23 | Pacers | 127-81 |
100
Nick Nurse has coached 139 games and won 100 of them. Quite possibly one of the most impressive numbers you'll ever see: 100-39 which translates to a 0.719 win percentage. Unreal.
It only took 139 games.
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 24, 2020
Here's to many more, Coach.#WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/2nvKqrkwMF