The Raptors had to rely on some unfamiliar players in Friday’s loss at Boston, writes Michael Grange of SportsNet. Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes were both unavailable, joining Jakob Poeltl on the injured list, and RJ Barrett left the game after rolling his ankle in the fourth quarter. That resulted in 19 minutes for Jonathan Mogbo and 15 minutes for Alijah Martin, who have both spent most of the season in the G League.
Martin, the 39th pick in last year’s draft, had only logged seven combined minutes in three NBA games prior to Friday, but his duties included trying to contain Jaylen Brown, Boston’s MVP candidate. Martin was up to the challenge, as Brown scored 25 points but shot just 6-of-16 from the field. Martin countered with seven points, three assists and a blocked shot.
“I felt good, really good,” he said. “I got to look at the film, but (Brown’s) a big, strong guy, and his first step, with him being so strong, it’s tough. You can’t give him no space because with a guy like him and his speed and power, if you do, you’re just cooked.
There’s more on the Raptors:
- Ingram, who sprained his right thumb Wednesday night against Charlotte, missed his first game of the season after appearing in 38 straight, Grange states in the same piece. He’s relieved to be playing regularly again after being limited to 18 games last season by a high ankle sprain. “I’m very happy about it, especially being away from the game for so long, being able to be on the floor every single night,” Ingram said. “It’s been a long time since I played consecutive games over and over again. It’s feeling good just to be on the floor, just to be on the floor and having a basketball in my hand.” Ingram participated in Friday’s shootaround and hopes to return for Sunday’s matchup with Philadelphia.
- Even though the Raptors were short-handed, Ochai Agbaji didn’t see any playing time, Grange adds. The fourth-year shooting guard started 10 consecutive games in December, but his minutes have been reduced lately. Agbaji has a $6.4MM expiring contract and should be viewed as a potential trade candidate as Toronto tries to get under the luxury tax threshold, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
- X-rays on Barrett’s ankle were negative, Grange tweets. He and Poeltl have already been ruled out for Sunday’s game, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link), while Ingram and Barnes are listed as questionable.