Despite reinforcements joining the mix, the result remained the same for Toronto.
The Raptors’ season-worst skid extended to 10 in a row on Sunday following a 136-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at Scotiabank Arena.
Scottie Barnes led Toronto’s effort with 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. The point-forward was far from perfect, however, as he turned the ball over a game-high eight times.
RJ Barrett chipped in with 17 points on five-of-13 shooting with six rebounds and four assists, and Jakob Poeltl added 13 points and six rebounds in his return from a four-game absence due to a groin strain. Meanwhile, Bruce Brown Jr. made his season debut on Sunday, adding 12 points, three rebounds and a steal in 19 minutes off the bench. The guard missed all of camp and the first 31 games for Toronto as he recovered from off-season knee surgery.
Trae Young led the Hawks to a fourth consecutive win, on the second night of a back-to-back no less, with a game-high 34 points on seven-of-13 shooting from distance and 10 assists. De’Andre Hunter wasn’t far behind as he finished with 22 points on eight-of-12 shooting. Clint Capela added an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double.
It was a six-point game deficit for Toronto at halftime thanks to a Chris Boucher heave at the buzzer, but the Raptors couldn’t get much closer as they were outscored 40-24 in the third quarter.
Miscues hurt the Raptors all night and started as early as the opening frame. Toronto committed six turnovers within the first two minutes and ended up giving the ball away a season-high 31 times (second-most in franchise history) for 30 points.
The Raptors head to Boston to visit the defending champion Celtics on Tuesday while the Hawks return on Wednesday to continue a six-game road trip against the Denver Nuggets.