Raptors get steamrolled on defense in loss to Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks

"Everything is bigger in Texas, so they say, and the Raptors were up against another huge team in the Dallas Mavericks. Hawks play big. Bucks play big. Mavs play big. Tomorrow, the Spurs will play big. The Raptors have some dragons to slay in terms of their halfcourt offense, their shooting, and their general ability to outrun their limitations. The Mavericks presented a great opportunity for the Raptors to problem solve without being totally overwhelmed. Or, a massive road block."

"True to form, RJ Barrett took the mantle of "most important driver" on the team and found his way to a couple buckets early - and so too did Scottie Barnes, but as a middle of the floor release valve against the Mavericks who threw a couple possessions of zone at the Raptors. On the other side of the floor, the Mavericks size made scoring around the basket pretty easy: as they started out 3/3 at the rim and 3/3 from the short mid-range."

"In terms of cool news, Collin Murray-Boyles made his NBA debut and stepped on to the court as the Raptors first bench player in this one. He was a bit timid to start. A couple nice plays on defense - a particularly poor one where Cooper Flagg burned him on a spin and an up and under - and a lot of moving the ball on when it came to the other side of the floor."

The Toronto Raptors faced a physically larger Dallas Mavericks team that created easy scoring around the rim. RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes provided early offense, with Barnes serving as a middle-of-the-floor release against occasional zone. Collin Murray-Boyles made his NBA debut and showed tentative play, with mixed defensive moments and limited rebounding possibly linked to a forearm strain or nerves. The Raptors trailed through most of the first quarter but a late lineup featuring Barrett, Barnes, Gradey Dick, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Jamal Shead tied the game before the buzzer. The run featured quick passing, pump-and-go drives, increased ball pressure, and exploited Dallas turnovers.

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