Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic addressed his team’s challenges after falling 110-93 to the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. He began by updating the status of Collin Murray-Boyles, saying, “He got hit on his hand. He already had a little bit of issues… We did some x-rays right away. He was not able to come back. The results came negative, but it was very tender.”
Rajakovic explained the uncertainty surrounding Murray-Boyles’ return, noting, “Really, I’m not sure at this point. We got to see how he’s going to feel tomorrow morning and then see if he needs additional tests and where he’s at.”
Reflecting on the team’s offense, the coach said, “I think our shooting was not great. We were getting good looks… We were hesitant with the ball. We did not allow the ball to go quickly. We had spurts when we did that and our offense looked really good in those moments.”
He connected offensive struggles to defense, adding, “I thought that our defensive intensity and focus slipped there and offense affected our defense.”
On the team’s pace, Rajakovic stated, “We talked a little bit before the game. The Lakers are very vulnerable to fast teams… Mainly it was in the half court. They were able to score when their defense was set… It was really hard for us to get in transition as much as we wanted.”
He credited the team’s starters for early contributions, saying, “In the first quarter, our pace was good… Our defense was very good. We were able to get stops, get rebounds, and run out of that. That’s where our majority of points in transition came.”
Rajakovic also praised tailbone for toughness, explaining, “He’s just a really tough player. He likes to go out there and compete to the best ability and help his team. I thought he played a good game overall tonight.”
Regarding Brandon Ingram’s shooting, he said, “Those were good looks. They didn’t fall early in the game. After that, he had a really good stretch and he was making shots. I don’t think it was anything to do with defense.”
On adapting to the Lakers’ zone defense, Rajakovic commented, “They played zone quite a bit. Early, we were getting good looks… A couple of things you can do: first, get stops and run, not allow them to set their defense… Zone is such that you’re pecking the paint and inviting the team to shoot. We got to trust the pass, trust open shots, and live with the outcome.”
Toronto fell behind late in the fourth quarter after back-to-back baskets by LeBron James and a 9-0 run, ultimately losing back-to-back games for the first time in four weeks.
Both teams play again Tuesday, with the Raptors at Golden State and the Lakers at Denver.
