Raptors clobbered by Mavericks in second-last game of season

A Dallas Mavericks team still with something to play for obliterated a Toronto Raptors side closing in on the off-season in Dallas on Friday night.

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Ochai Agbaji had a career game and Scottie Barnes was strong too, but the other Raptors were not and the gigantic Dallas front court was way too much for Toronto to handle in the 124-102 blowout.

Anthony Davis had a triple-double with a team-best 23 points and was three blocked shots shy of turning in the first quadruple double since David Robinson in 1994, but did not play for most of the fourth quarter with the game well in hand. PJ Washington added 14 points and eight rebounds and centre Dereck Lively, who just returned last week after a three-month absence, had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Agbaji scored 24, hitting his first five three-pointers and six shots overall, for 17 points in the first half alone. Unfortunately for the Raptors, the rest of the team was as off as Agbaji was on. The other Raptors combined for 21 points and shot 20% from the floor in the first half, including 0-for-15 on three-point shots. Meanwhile, the Mavericks shot 63.6% from the field and had three players in double figures through 24 minutes.

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Barnes finished with 26, but the team shot just 40% for the night, compared to 55% for Dallas.

The game was a meaningless one for the Raptors, with Toronto already locked in to the NBA’s seventh-worst record, but there was still something at stake for Dallas. The Mavericks will take on Sacramento in the play-in tournament, but entered Friday a game behind the Kings, who would host the game if the lead holds. The winner will take on the 7-8 play-in game loser. The Kings hosted the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday looking to pull a win in front of the Mavericks again.

It’s been a jarring free fall for an organization that was playing in the NBA Finals just a year ago, but now will finish under .500 and has without a doubt the unhappiest fanbase in the entire league.

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That, of course, is a result of the stunning Feb. 2 trade of franchise player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, a move that has been branded the stupidest in NBA history given Doncic’s first ballot hall of fame talent level and age. Doncic returned to town just two days ago and scored 45 points in an easy Lakers win, leaving the game to a standing ovation, while the team’s general manager Nico Harrison has been booed relentlessly by Mavericks fans.

The atmosphere in Dallas did a 180° from Wednesday’s game, from one of the buzziest days of the year, to, ‘Can we just get this season from hell over with?’

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Agbaji’s hot start kept the Raptors within 10 points after a quarter, but Dallas took over from there, building a lead as large as 29 points and a 66-38 advantage through two quarters. It was 96-67 through three and the only interesting question remaining was whether Agbaji would miss a three-pointer. It wasn’t a long wait for the answer, as Agbaji finally misfired 16 seconds into the fourth after hitting his only attempt in the third.

Only Robinson, former Raptors Hakeem Olajuwon (with Houston in 1990) and Alvin Robertson (with San Antonio in 1986) and Nate Thurmond in 1984 have had quadruple doubles since blocked shots became an official statistic in 1973-74.

Toronto started its 39th different group of five for the season, the most in the 30 years the team has been around. That included rookies Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo and Jamison Battle, along with Barnes and Agbaji. Toronto only had seven available players.

The final game of the year goes Sunday in San Antonio.

@WolstatSun

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