If OG Anunoby ever needed affirmation that his head coach has his back, he got it Friday night.
“I’m going to stick up for my guys every time,” head coach Dwane Casey said.
With the game against the Atlanta Hawks all but decided, Anunoby stole the ball and headed down court for a dunk. After completing the play, Atlanta’s head coach Mike Budenholzer had a few stern words for the young man, perhaps thinking the former Hoosier was trying to run up the score. Raptors coach Dwane Casey was having none of it.
Casey fired back, but still remained calm enough to try and exchange customary pleasantries after the game. Budenholzer was unwilling to return in kind, which is when Casey saw red.
“I love coaches but one thing I don’t want you to do is say something to my players,” Casey said after the game. “I understand the situation, but we weren’t trying to run the score up. They were trying to score, and we were trying to play defence.”
The Raptors came away convincing winners, 111-98, and are perhaps airing out some frustration after dropping consecutive games to the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder after Christmas.
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