Raptors barely beat Blazers, home unbeaten streak at eight

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The Raptors experienced a brief scare in the opening half of their 121-118 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday half when Brandon Ingram turned his right ankle. Ingram was helped to the locker room where team officials retaped it.

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Ingram’s left ankle injury sustained last December effectively sidelined him for the balance of the season, a setback that did not allow Ingram to appear in a single game for the Raptors.

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There was justifiable relief when Ingram returned to the game.

Ingram’s play of late has been off, highlighted by a rare offensive foul, but on this night it was Scottie Barnes who would take his game to another level.

The problem was Portland refused to go away, fighting back from a double-digit disadvantage in the second half when an offensive drought bit the Raptors.

Missed free throws bit the Trail Blazers, but the evening was both entertaining and competitive.

It was a two-possession game with three minutes remaining, reduced to a one-possession game with two minutes left before it really turned compelling.

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Defensively and offensively, the Raptors made winning plays down the stretch.

At both ends, Barnes was the best player as he flirted with a triple-double in willing the Raptors to their win.

The following are three takeaways on a night the Raptors won their eighth straight home game as Toronto tipped off an extended run at home.

1. Dread The Shead

Second-year point guard Jamal Shead doesn’t need to score a single point to leave his imprint on game.

He has shown an ability to knock down shots, but Shead’s jumper has been off in recent games.

It carried over into the opening half against Portland, when he went 1-for-4 from the floor.

Fellow second-year pro Ja’Kobe Walter, who once again got the start for an injured RJ Barrett (knee), went 0-for-4.

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But these two energetic bodies rely on their defence.

Combined, the two recorded six steals in the opening half, including five by Shead, the most he has produced in a single game, let alone in one half.

Sunday in New York, Shead had four steals.

Shead was on the floor late in Tuesday’s game as the Raptors went with a lineup featuring two point guards.

You have to admire his aggressive forays to the hole, but Shead must finish at the rim.

He couldn’t buy a basket against the Blazers.

His defence, though, never flinched.

Shead assisted on a key Ingram basket that gave the Raptors a 119-115 lead.

2. Disappearing D

How ironic that on a day Barnes would be named Eastern Conference defensive player of the month for October/November, the Raptors’ defence was non-existent for most of the opening quarter until the team’s second unit began to defend.

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Toronto wasn’t as deficient Sunday when it played the host New York Knicks, who lit up the Raptors for 42 first-quarter points en route to a lopsided loss.

Poor close-outs, an inability to keep Portland out of the paint, and simply yielding open looks allowed the visitors to jump on the Raptors.

When the bench was given an extended run, the defensive pick-up point was much improved, as was the team’s intensity.

The starting unit was the prime reason why Portland was able to score 39 points to take a two-point lead after the opening 12 minutes.

Both teams, in truth, were offensive-centric in an uptempo flow conducive to scoring, with the Raptors taking a 65-59 lead at the break.

3. Sharpe Dressed Man

The last time Canadian Shaedon Sharpe faced the Raptors in Toronto, he poured in 36 points in a 112-103 Portland win.

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Well after the final buzzer had sounded, Sharpe was told he had just netted the most points by a Canadian against the Raptors.

The athletic wing was born in London, Ont., and selected seventh overall by the Blazers in the 2022 draft.

Sharpe made an immediate impact early in Tuesday’s game, drilling a pull-up jumper, flushing home an emphatic dunk and kicking out to an open shooter after he used the dribble to draw the defence.

Sharpe’s athleticism is off the charts.

He went on a personal run in the second quarter to help Portland cut into Toronto’s advantage.

Sharpe scored 15 points in 15 minutes.

He ended the night by scoring 23 points.

The one area Sharpe has to refine is his three-point shooting.

Portland kicked off a five-game road trip in Toronto with a depleted roster.

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Former Raptors guard Chauncey Billups, whom Sharpe credited for his improved game last season, pleaded not guilty to federal charges of money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy after the hall of famer was accused of profiting from rigged poker games orchestrated by the mafia.

The Blazers placed Billups on leave in October and named former NBA champion player Tiago Splitter as interim head coach.

Portland hasn’t been playing well, though it did enter the night having won the past four meetings against the Raptors.

Up Next

Toronto’s season-long five-game home stand continues Thursday night when the L.A. Lakers make their lone appearance in what is shaping up as the game of the year before next Tuesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal against the Knicks is staged.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

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