The Toronto Raptors are heading back to the locker room disappointed after their 139-129 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night inside the American Airlines Center.
The Raptors played well in the first half, even grabbing a two-point lead going into halftime. However, the defensive plan didn’t work for the third quarter, leading to 39 points from the Mavericks.
The Raptors then trailed by double digits and couldn’t make up the deficit from there.
Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
In the first half, each team was pretty even. Neither the Raptors nor the Mavericks built a lead larger than six points, so the adjustments made in the locker room were going to dictate who would win the game.
It was Jason Kidd and the Mavs who pushed the right buttons, beating Darko Rajakovic and the Raptors. Cooper Flagg became more comfortable and he ended up having his best game so far as a pro.
Flagg finished the game with 22 points, but the Mavs also got strong contributions from Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell, both of whom shook off their poor starts. Davis scored a team-high 25 points while Russell added 24 off the bench.
Other Mavericks that finished in double figures were Max Christie and P.J. Washington, both of whom had 17 points. Naji Marshall had 12 on a perfect 4 of 4 from the field, while Klay Thompson had 10 points.
For the Raptors, Scottie Barnes had his best game of the season with a double-double, scoring 33 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Brandon Ingram added 22 points on an efficient 10 of 16 from the field.
RJ Barrett and Sandro Mamukelashvili contributed with 16 points apiece, while Gradey Dick joined them in double figures with 10 and Immanuel Quickley had 14, but it came while missing 6 of his 7 shots from beyond the 3-point line.
The Raptors pride themselves on being a defensive-minded team, but that part of their game didn’t show up against the Mavs. That will certainly be a point of emphasis in the next couple of games as the team figures out how to get better on the defensive end.
The Raptors will have a chance to bounce back tomorrow when they travel to face Victor Wembanyama and the undefeated San Antonio Spurs. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET inside the Frost Bank Center.