Raptors get reality check courtesy of Clippers
LOS ANGELES – Two impressive Toronto Raptors streaks came to an end late Monday night at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers.
A six-game winning streak, one of the longest in team history, and a 15-0 start to this season of closing out games where a lead was taken into the final quarter.
Toronto led 74-70 heading into the final frame before going ice cold in an eventual 96-91 loss.
It was a bit of a throwback contest, with Clippers behemoth DeAndre Jordan (14 points, 16 rebounds) and Raptors counterpart Jonas Valanciunas (23 and 15) dominating, while most of the guards couldn’t shoot straight. Kyle Lowry’s first field goal didn’t come until the third quarter and DeMar DeRozan also was off of the mark.
The Raptors went a dismal 7-for-29 (24 per cent) from beyond the three-point arc, the Clippers an even worse 8-for-36 (22.2 per cent).
Point guard Milos Teodosic hit the dagger three-pointer late in the fourth, in his return to the lineup for the first time since the second game of the season.
The Raptors had won at Sacramento a night earlier and completed a rare back to back set.
The longest winning streaks in franchise history came in 2016 (11 games) and in 2002 (nine). There was also a seven-game run in 2000.