Bucks 115, Raptors 105: Another big lead, another struggle, another win
Giannis Antetokounmpo did a little bit of everything, finishing with 36 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. He made key plays at both ends of the floor as the Raptors threatened in the fourth quarter.The Bucks raced out to a 12-1 lead as the Raptors started ice cold, missing their first seven shots before Kyle Lowry hit a three-pointer.The Bucks were whistled for five fouls within the first five minutes, including two against starting guard Eric Bledsoe. But just like in their game against the Magic on Friday night, Milwaukee's bench contributed early and often.
Lowry , Ibaka sidelined as Raptors beat Pelicans. NEW ORLEANS -- The Toronto Raptors came out of New Orleans with a victory on the scoreboard, but injuries dealt them a pair of blows . Raptors forward Serge Ibaka (No. 9) is helped off the court by guards Norman Powell (No. 24) and
Lowry , Ibaka sidelined as Raptors beat Pelicans. Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has been diagnosed with a fracture of the distal phalanx of his left thumb and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the team announced Saturday. The Raptors also lost Serge Ibaka to injury on Friday.
The Raptors have ruled out guard Kyle Lowry and center/forward Serge Ibaka for the foreseeable future due to their respective injuries, announcing the news in a press release Saturday afternoon.
© Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports Lowry will miss at least two weeks after fracturing the distal phalanx of his left thumb, an injury which occurred during Toronto's victory over New Orleans on Friday. He’s set to be re-evaluated after the two-week period.
Ibaka sustained a sprained right ankle and is set to undergo additional imaging in Los Angeles. The team is listing him as out indefinitely.
For Lowry, this is the same thumb he had surgery on during the summer to address torn ligaments. However, the fracture is a different tissue. He continued playing through the injury Friday for some time before choosing to exit for good.
Kings can't catch Raptors in 124-120 loss
TORONTO - The Kings took knockout blow after knockout blow from the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night; thing was, the Kings didn't land any haymakers of their own. The defending NBA champions slugged their way to a 124-120 win over the Kings behind 24 points from Kyle Lowry, 23 from Pascal Siakam and 21 from Serge Ibaka. Harrison Barnes had 26 points to lead the Kings while Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 22 and Buddy Hield had 21. The Kings hit 20 of 43 3-pointers to hang with the Raptors. BOX SCORE: RAPTORS 124, KINGS 120But the Raptors knew how to close out a win.
Toronto Raptors star point guard Kyle Lowry tried to avoid discussing his left thumb injury on Wednesday during NBA Finals media day — but he Doug Smith: Couple of injury report changes for the Raptors today in Detroit Kyle Lowry goes to “doubtful” from “questionable” Fred VanVleet goes
Adrian Wojnarowski explains why both Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka were given three-year contracts with the Raptors , but still got the dollars they were
“It felt weird from the rip,” Lowry said, according to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. “I kept playing through it and kept playing through it. Originally we thought it was something in the nailbed because the nailbed turned black and blue. We got some X-rays and we sent the X-rays off to the doctors and there was a small fracture in the thumb.”
Raptors coach Nick Nurse acknowledged that Ibaka’s sprained ankle was “pretty bad," according to Lopez. Lowry and Ibaka are key players in Toronto’s rotation and played integral roles in helping the franchise win its first championship last June.
Toronto currently holds the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 6-2, with upcoming road games against the Lakers, Clippers, Blazers and Mavericks.
Siakam scores 44, Raptors beat Pelicans, 122-104
NEW ORLEANS (AP) Pascal Siakam matched his career high with 44 points, and the Toronto Raptors beat the New Orleans Pelicans 122-104 on Friday night. © APARC Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, Nov. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton) Toronto used a 45-point second quarter to take control of the game and improved to 6-2. The Pelicans slipped to 1-7.
Kyle Lowry suffered a fractured thumb and Serge Ibaka sustained an ankle injury in the Toronto Raptors ' 122-104 road win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Friday's victory, secured after a superb 44-point showing from in-form Pascal Siakam that matched his career high
The Raptors suffered multiple injuries on Friday that could slow them down in the coming weeks. Lowry further aggregated an existing left thumb injury , while Ibaka suffered a severe sprained right Fred VanVleet has taken his game up a notch this season in a bigger role. Marc Gasol remains as a
Related slideshow: Ranking all 30 NBA head coaches (Provided by Yardbarker)
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Ranking all 30 NBA head coaches
If you want to win in the NBA, having a star player is the crucial. Having a great coach can take you to the next level as well though. Meanwhile, if your coach isn’t so hot, it can possibly cost a team quite a bit. Right now the NBA seems pretty stacked with good head coaches, if we’re being honest. That makes ranking them quite difficult — not that we were stopped by this fact, of course. Here is our ranking of the 30 men manning the baseline in the NBA. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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30. Taylor Jenkins
This is not a knock on Jenkins’ coaching acumen. We simply don’t know anything about him yet. The new coach of the Memphis Grizzlies is in his first year as a head coach at any level. For now, he’s a big question mark so we’ve put him last on this list. Justin Ford/USA TODAY Sports
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29. John Beilein
Beilein is the other head coach who is in his first year as an NBA head coach. This is a slightly different situation though. Jenkins is a 35-year-old up-and-comer. Beilein is 66 and has been coaching college ball for as long as Jenkins has been alive. The new Cavaliers coach excelled in college, but the NBA is a different game. Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports
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28. James Borrego
Borrego has one season under his belt with the Hornets. He and Charlotte posted a 39-43 record and missed the playoffs. Borrego didn’t have a lot of talent to work with, but add in his 10-20 record in 2015 as an interim head man with the Magic, and it’s a poor resume so far. Nelson Chenault/USA TODAY Sports
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27. Monty Williams
Phoenix feels like a toxic organization at the moment, which may be why the Suns had to settle on Williams as their new head coach. Williams coached the New Orleans Pelicans for five seasons. In that time, the team had a 173-221 record and never won a playoff series. His coaching career feels like the equivalent of his playing career. Not bad, but certainly not good. Sergio Estrada/USA TODAY Sports
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26. Ryan Saunders
If coaching acumen is genetic, the 33-year-old Saunders should be just fine. Flip’s son took over for Tom Thibodeau after Thibs got the ax last season. Saunders immediately modernized the offense and led the Timberwolves to a 17-25 record. The NBA’s youngest coach has something left to prove, but we are optimistic about his potential. Casey Sapio/USA TODAY Sports
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25. Scott Brooks
When Brooks was the head coach of the Thunder, they won a ton. They also have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. A lot of the time, the perception was that Brooks was being carried by his talent and that some of his decisions were questionable. Every season with the Wizards his team has gotten progressively worse, and the team just went 32-50. Brooks is one of those coaches who is as good as the talent you give him and maybe a little worse. Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
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24. Luke Walton
Walton took over for the Warriors on an interim basis when Steve Kerr was dealing with health issues. It went quite well and got him a gig with his former team as a player, the Los Angeles Lakers. Those seasons went bad. The rumor was that Walton couldn’t get a handle on his roster and control the room. He was fired after three campaigns but quickly got a new deal with the Kings. Now we’ll see what kind of coach he is away from the turmoil of the Lakers. Jeffrey Swinger/USA TODAY Sports
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23. Jim Boylen
Boylen took over for Fred Hoiberg on the Bulls last season, and it went badly. However, it was only a 58 game sample size. Boylen seems like kind of a goof. He established a leadership committee and was all about toughness and grittiness. At least he seems to have a plan. That got him this high up the rankings. Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports
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22. Billy Donovan
Donovan was a great college coach. He won two titles at Florida. In the NBA, though, he’s seemed merely adequate. That’s not a bad thing! It’s also not a good thing. The Thunder have lost in the first round in each of the last three postseasons. Donovan was also beholden to Russell Westbrook, who really ran the show in OKC. We may finally see him do some actual coaching this year. Maybe he’ll move up the rankings. Rob Ferguson/USA TODAY Sports
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21. Lloyd Pierce
Pierce has one season under his belt with the Hawks. The team went 29-53, but they were a lot of fun. He figured out what to do with Trae Young, and he had the Hawks looking better down the stretch. Pierce seems to know what he’s doing, and once his talent gets a little older his team should be a playoff squad. Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports
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20. Alvin Gentry
Gentry is a journeyman with a losing career record. He also has coached some not very good teams. He was saddled with the Anthony Davis drama last season with the Hornets. We like Gentry because he recognized early that the NBA is moving toward picking up the pace. Plus, he does have one conference finals appearance as a head coach. Chuck Cook/USA TODAY Sports
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19. David Fizdale
We aren’t blaming Fizdale for what happened with the Knicks last season. Did you see that roster? All we know is that he’s not a miracle worker. As an assistant with the Heat, Fizdale was considered one of the best assistants in the NBA. His one full season with the Grizzlies went well, as they went 43-39 and we got the “take that for data!” press conference. If not for a beef with Marc Gasol, Coach Fiz would probably still be in Memphis. Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports
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18. Nate McMillan
McMillan is the poster child for solid but unspectacular. In his last six full seasons, McMillan’s teams have made the playoffs. They have also lost in the first round every single time. The current Pacers coach also has had some less-than-fun squads in the past because he’s run his teams at a slow pace at times. Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports
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17. Terry Stotts
Stotts' first two stints in the NBA, with the Hawks and the Bucks, both went poorly. Still, he got another chance with the Blazers, and this time it has gone better. Portland has had a winning record in each of the last six seasons, though a lot of that is on Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. People often question Stotts’ defensive decisions, which knocks him down the list a bit. Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports
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16. Frank Vogel
Vogel finds himself in an awkward position. That’s just the nature of the beast with the Los Angeles Lakers these days. Plus, Jason Kidd looms, and we all know how he has liked to try and seize power in the past. Vogel had some really good years with the Pacers, which is what he’s riding on reputation wise at the moment. His last coaching gig, two seasons with the Magic, went much less well. Robert Hanashiro/USA TODAY Sports
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15. Michael Malone
Malone was considered the best assistant coach in the NBA prior to his first head coaching gig. Literally, the NBA general managers voted him that in 2012. That got him a job with the Kings. However, there his personality clashed with DeMarcus Cousins, and Malone got the boot. Swiftly the Nuggets hired him, and he’s shown his coaching acumen with Denver. Last year, he helped take the Nuggets to a 54-28 record and the second seed in the Western Conference. His stock is on the rise. Jaime Valdez/USA TODAY Sports
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14. Dwane Casey
Memorably, Casey was fired after a season for which he won Coach of the Year. After three straight 50-win seasons with the Raptors, Casey joined the Pistons. They went 41-41 and made the playoffs, which, for the Pistons, is a major coup. Raj Mehta/USA TODAY Sports
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13. Nick Nurse
Nurse only has one year as a head coach in the NBA to his name. It went pretty well all things considered. The Raptors went 58-24 and won the NBA title. That’s great, of course, but it’s only one season. If he does it again, Nurse will shoot up these rankings. Kevin Sousa/USA TODAY Sports
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12. Kenny Atkinson
Atkinson seems like a coach on the rise. He took over a boring and bad Nets team. They were still bad for a couple of seasons, but they suddenly became fun and scrappy. Last year, he helped revitalize the career of D’Angelo Russell and got the Nets into the playoffs with a 42-40 record. Atkinson knows how to set a culture and make the most of a roster. He just needs that next level of success. Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports
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11. Brett Brown
We aren’t basing this on Brown’s record. He was in Philly for the height of The Process. The roster was terrible and getting changed over all the time. Through it all, Brown had to try and keep things together. He managed to do it, which is why he never got fired. The Sixers have made the playoffs the last two seasons, and Brown is doing his best to make all the pieces work. Jeremy Brevard/USA TODAY Sports
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10. Erik Spoelstra
Spoelstra suddenly finds himself underrated. Handpicked by Pat Riley to be the new coach of the Heat, he’s been the head man in Miami since 2008. That means he was the coach for the LeBron James era but also beyond. He’s got two NBA rings, of course, but on top of that he’s only ever presided over two non-winning seasons. Spoelstra clearly wasn’t just the product of the talent on the Miami roster. Sam Sharpe/USA TODAY Sports
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9. Quin Snyder
Coaching with the Jazz, Snyder gets overlooked a bit. He’s had quite the journey as a coach. Snyder found success as a young coach with the Missouri Tigers. Then he jumped to an NBA D-League, now G-League, job, where he was Coach of the Year. Since taking over the Jazz, he has a 227-183 record with three playoff appearances. He’s also orchestrated a great defense around Rudy Gobert. Chuck Cook/USA TODAY Sports
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8. Steve Clifford
Clifford is the most underrated coach in the NBA. Having your two gigs be with Charlotte and Orlando will do that. The Bobcats/Hornets have no history of NBA success. Clifford led them to two of their three playoffs appearances and their first postseason wins. For some reason, the Hornets fired him. He signed right up with the Magic and then took another struggling franchise right back to the playoffs in his first year with the team. Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports
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7. Brad Stevens
Here’s one of the rare college-to-pros success stories. Since he left Butler for Boston, Stevens has been considered one of the best coaches in the NBA. People particularly talk about his out of timeout plays. Last year was kind of a disaster for the Celtics though. That hurt his stock a bit, but he can rebound this year perhaps, now that Kyrie Irving has moved on. Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports
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6. Steve Kerr
Hear us out. Yes, Kerr has been the coach of three NBA title teams. That’s great. He also has won Coach of the Year once. However, think about the talent he’s had. Steph Curry. Draymond Green. Klay Thompson. Kevin Durant. It’s not hard to win with all that skill. That being said, it’s also hard to manage all those egos and personalities. That’s why he’s ranked sixth but also why he’s not ranked higher. Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
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5. Doc Rivers
Rivers was named Coach of the Year in 2000, and he’s been a good coach ever since. There were a couple of down years with Boston, but then the roster was rebooted and he won an NBA title. After his time with Boston came to a close, he moved on to the Clippers. There he got the team through the Donald Sterling saga. The Clippers have also never had a losing season under Rivers. He’s a great coach, and he may be able to get his second ring now that the Clippers have added Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Richard Mackson/USA TODAY Sports
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4. Mike D'Antoni
Let’s not forget that D’Antoni changed the NBA. His offense with the Suns ushered in a new era of pace and space. The Lakers and Knicks years weren’t great, but what else is new? His time with the Rockets has gone much better. Once again, he’s helped change the NBA by unleashing the three-point shot to a whole new degree. D’Antoni doesn’t have a ring, but he is en route to a Hall of Fame career. Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports
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3. Rick Carlisle
Carlisle is a great coach. Prior to Dallas’ current rough patch and rebuild, which he has presided over with aplomb, he had a single losing season as a head coach. He got fired by the Pistons after making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. The next year, he made it to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Pacers. For the last 11 years he’s been the head coach of the Mavericks. He led them to their first NBA title, not to mention four 50-win seasons. Now that the talent level is back on the rise in Dallas, don’t be surprised if Carlisle gets the Mavs back to the playoffs and makes them a dangerous once again. Raj Mehta/USA TODAY Sports
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2. Mike Budenholzer
Coach Bud was a long-time assistant with the Spurs, earning a reputation as a talented coach who would succeed when he got his first chance. That came with the Hawks, who he once won 60 games with and got them to the conference finals despite a lack of elite stars. With a rebuild beginning, Budenholzer left the Hawks for the Bucks. His first season with Milwaukee went great, as he once again won 60 games and got his team to the conference finals. Budenholzer is already a two-time Coach of the Year. All he has left to do is win a title. Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
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1. Gregg Popovich
Who else could it be but Coach Pop? He’s a living legend. Popovich has spent his entire career coaching the Spurs. In that time, he’s posted a 1,245-575 record. He’s made the playoffs 22 seasons in a row. The man has five NBA titles and three Coach of the Year Awards. You could call Popovich the best head coach of all time, and few would argue. Daniel Dunn/USA TODAY Sports
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Leonard leads Clippers past Raptors in 1st game vs old team .
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lou Williams scored 21 points, Kawhi Leonard just missed a triple-double in his first game against his former team and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors 98-88 on Monday night. Leonard finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists to go with nine turnovers. Last season, he led the Raptors to their first championship, averaging 30.5 points and 9.1 rebounds in 24 postseason games to earn his second Finals MVP honor.
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Leonard leads Clippers past Raptors in 1st game vs old team 
