After amassing a 3-0 record in Las Vegas Summer League round-robin play, the Toronto Raptors entered the knockout phase of the tournament as the top seed among the 24 teams competing.
Having received a bye into the second round, the Raps faced the 16-seed Portland Trail Blazers in what was a closely contested 91-85 loss that unceremoniously brought an end to Toronto’s Summer League stint.
Five Blazers scored in double figures— led by former Arizona star Nick Johnson’s 17— while 2017 first-team All-American and 26th overall draft pick Caleb Swanigan posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
10th overall draft pick Zach Collins, who Portland traded two first-round picks to acquire on draft night, did not play due to injury.
Point guard Fred VanVleet was the star for the Raptors, scoring a game-high 31 points, including a number of difficult clutch shots down the stretch, as he has throughout Summer League. After an eye-opening rookie campaign, Van Vleet will enter the 2016-17 season as the Raptors’ third-string point guard.
Win or lose, @FredVanVleet can hoop. #WeTheNorth
https://t.co/l2F2Fk7f4C pic.twitter.com/APjFFXzeJq
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 14, 2017
Big man Jakob Poeltl chipped in with 10 points and was 4-of-5 from the field, showing off a nice touch around the basket despite a lack of quality touches, while new Raptors signee Alfonzo McKinnie posted 11 points and nine boards.
Despite a dominant first three games in Vegas, second-year forward Pascal Siakam struggled to make an impact on Thursday night, finishing with just two points and three rebounds while attempting just four shots and making only one of them.
You can check out the highlights here:
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