MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE (AP) – Pascal Siakam scored 19 points, including a pair of free throws with nine seconds left, and the Toronto Raptors rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 106-103 yesterday.
Jaren Jackson Jr missed a three-pointer with 5.2 seconds left that would have tied the game for the Grizzlies, who played without star Ja Morant because of right wrist soreness.
Toronto won its second straight game and went 4-3 on its season-long seven-game road swing. Memphis has lost three straight and eight of nine.
Chris Boucher scored 17 points and matched his season high with three three-pointers for the Raptors. Scottie Barnes scored 13 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of key baskets down the stretch. Fred Van Vleet had 15 points and seven assists.
“Things got tight in the fourth quarter,” Barnes said. “It was just the ball was coming to me, and I was having a ball. I was just trying to get downhill and win the game.”
Desmond Bane led Memphis with 26 points, while Jackson had 18 points and four blocks.
In addition to Morant, the Grizzlies were missing centre Steven Adams (right knee) and forward Dillon Brooks, who served a league-assessed one-game suspension for his confrontation with Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell on Friday.
Toronto put the game away by outscoring Memphis 28-17 in the fourth quarter, and Bane said there are obviously things that need to change.
“I think just valuing every possession,” the Grizzlies guard said. “Understanding the magnitude of every possession for a full 48 minutes, but especially down the stretch. When it comes down to it, we’ve got to be able to rebound the basketball and not allow teams to get second chances.”
Memphis led most of the game before Toronto asserted itself late. The Grizzlies were ahead 81-66 with 4:44 left in the third quarter. The Raptors got within 86-78 entering the fourth.
“You don’t want to try and come down and out-jump-shoot teams,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “They were open shots, but we needed to get in attack mode and attack the paint. (Jump shots) are great when they all go in, but when none of them go in, it looks and feels really bad, and you put yourself in a big hole.”
