Veteran ahead Bruce Brown’s return a lift to flagging Toronto Raptors’ lineup
Bruce Brown intercepted a cross and streaked down the court docket, driving previous some token defence from Atlanta Hawks ahead Jalen Johnson for a one-handed slam dunk.
Brown’s Toronto Raptors teammates go off the house workforce’s bench, cheering for the veteran ahead.
“It is simply because they did not suppose I can soar, as a result of I have never jumped actually, or they have not seen it, after which they did not see it the final 12 months,” Brown stated, including he knew he would dunk as quickly as he crossed half-court.
“I instructed them I might do it and I used to be like, ‘if I get the prospect to, I’mma dunk it.'”
It was Brown’s first dunk in eight months as he scored 12 factors and had three rebounds off the bench in his season debut on Sunday as Toronto misplaced to Atlanta 136-107. He’d missed the primary 31 video games of the Raptors season as he recovered from arthroscopic knee surgical procedure on Sept. 20, a course of that took longer than he anticipated.
“I assumed I used to be gonna be out like six to eight weeks however some issues did not go my method,” stated Brown. “There was plenty of swelling in there for some time.
“Issues occurred, after which I used to be supposed to return again, like, three, 4 weeks in the past, however there was nonetheless swelling there, so that they instructed me to take my time.”
Brown averaged 9.6 factors, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks over 34 video games with the Raptors final season. He was traded from the Indiana Pacers to Toronto on Jan. 18 as a part of a package deal for all-star ahead Pascal Siakam.
He is averaged 8.9 factors, 4.2 rebounds and a pair of.5 assists over his profession in 416 video games with the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana and Toronto.
Brown’s return does not simply add depth to the Raptors’ lineup, however brings some much-needed vitality to a struggling workforce that has misplaced 10 in a row.
“You see him get on the market and put his physique on the road after being out for therefore lengthy,” stated Scottie Barnes, who led Toronto with 19 factors, eight rebounds, and 5 assists however eight turnovers within the loss. “He is making himself so drained on the market simply guarding, pushing himself. That is what the workforce wants.
“We have all bought to match that vitality each single evening. That is the trouble we will want in an effort to win video games.”
Head coach Darko Rajakovic stated that fatigue is a significant factor within the NBA’s longest lively dropping skid. He stated {that a} lack of focus performed a task in Toronto’s season-high 31 turnovers on Sunday.
“We hit a wall. We glance drained. We glance drained,” stated Rajakovic. “Guys usually are not in a rhythm. That is the fact that we’re in proper now. We have to discover a technique to get out of it.”
It was the third consecutive sport the place the Raptors had given up over 130 factors, and second 29-point blowout in a row.
“Getting beat by 30, man, at dwelling — that is unacceptable,” stated Barnes. “We won’t be doing that. We bought to go on the market and play more durable, be smarter.
“We had plenty of turnovers right now. We won’t enable this to occur.”
Brown was extra optimistic.
“We simply want some relaxation, and we’ll push by it,” he stated, noting {that a} abdomen flu had unfold by Toronto’s locker room. “I imply, all groups have this in some unspecified time in the future, even championship groups, so we’ll push by it. We’ll be high-quality.”
