The Raptors are coming to impose their law in Atlanta

THE Hawks they start the season with loose balls and (thankfully) free throws. Trae Young and his gang are struggling to get going and it takes all of Jalen Johnson’s activity to get a bit of an edge. In contrast, the Raptors led by Scotty Barnes take advantage of the spaces left by the Atlanta defense (34-36). The first part of the second quarter goes in the same direction, the Hawks are clumsy and Brandon Ingram is having fun making baskets. There is some progress before the break, especially since Zachary Rizacher scores points, but the Canadians still dominate (59-65).

Nothing changes after returning from the locker room. Fortunately, Jaylen Johnson and Zachary Rizacher are there for Atlanta, but the latter injured his ankle and his impact is diminishing. The Raptors’ intensity is increasing and the Hawks can’t keep up. They keep losing turnovers, which leads to easy baskets and the deficit increases (87-110). The Canadians finished the third quarter with 20-4! And as they start the last one with 8-2, they logically go for a victory that will be wide (118-138). A good sign after the 2024/25 season to forget.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– The Raptors took advantage of the irregularity of their opponent. Plagued by turnovers and a complicated offense to set up, the Hawks survived the first period thanks to a few successful sequences and individuality, but did not offer much more. The Raptors were more consistent and managed to move up a notch after the break to completely shake a very fragile Atlanta team, which exploded in the third quarter.

– Zachary Rizacher’s frustrating match. The Frenchman had a great start to the season, discreet but effective. Then, in the third quarter, he sprained his right ankle in a counter attack. When he comes back, he’s not the same and misses all of his shot attempts. The Frenchman finished with 16 points on 7/13 shooting, but we must clearly distinguish two parts of his game: before and after the injury.

– Raptors executives present. The Hawks’ best player is clearly Jaylen Johnson, while Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis haven’t dominated as expected. Brandon Ingram (16 points, 9 rebounds), RJ Barrett (25 points, 8 rebounds) and Scotty Barnes (22 points, 9 assists) did not miss this first meeting and offered the first victory to Toronto.

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