Raptors HC Darko Rajakovic seemed extremely agitated by the decisions made by the referees in their most recent game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Insinuating that the decisions against his Raptors were brutally unfair, the coach did not mince words in a game that went down to the wire.
Towards the final minutes of the 4th quarter, both teams went back and forth, attacking the rim viciously. Overcome by emotion, the coach attacked the referees’ ignorance during the game.
Raptors HC goes off on NBA referees
The Toronto Raptors HC Darko Rajakovic bashed the game officials for the lack of calls the Raptors received in their game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The coach seemed extremely disappointed with the treatment of his players by the officials after the Raptors lost to the Lakers by a single point.
Playing at the Lakers’ Crypto Arena, the Raptors were unable to get calls for themselves despite the alleged fouls by the Raptors coach. According to Rajakovic, the tide was completely against the Raptors from the start.
Going off against the unjust calls, Rajakovic stated, “They had to win tonight? If that’s the case, just let us know so we don’t show up for the game. Just give them the win. That was not fair tonight.”
Darko also expressed his frustration for Scottie Barnes who had just 2 free throw attempts the entire game, asking, “How is it possible that Scottie Barnes, an All-Star caliber player, he gets two free throws the whole game, how is that possible?”
While whether the calls were accurate or not are up to the critics, Rajakovic was right to express his disappointment.
In the entire game, the Raptors were awarded 13 free throws. To put that into context, Lakers superstar, Anthony Davis, alone, had 14 free throws to his name. As a whole, the Lakers were awarded 36 free throws throughout the game, more than double of what the Raptors were given. Interestingly, 23 of the Lakers’ 36 free throws came in the fourth quarter of the game.
In a game that ended with a difference of 1-point, free throws could have made all the difference. Breaking the Raptors’ heart, The Lakers held on to their 19th win of the 2023-24 NBA season.
Lakers defeat Raptors by one point
The Los Angeles Lakers won a hard-fought victory against their visitors, the Toronto Raptors. Playing with grit and size, the Lakers won the game in a game that ended, 132-131.
The deadly duo of Anthony Davis and Lebron James bamboozled the clueless Raptors’ defense with their elite chemistry and ball movement. Overpowering the opposition with his strength and presence, Anthony Davis carried the Lakers on his back as he dropped 40 points with ease. The star managed the 40-piece while shooting 76.5% from the field.
The Raptors came so close yet were so far from their goal as the Lakers locked all opportunities that helped the Raptors bring out their A-game. Free throws were a crucial factor in the game with the Lakers attempting more free throws in the fourth quarter than the Raptors in the entire game.
Davis was exceptional from the line and had a mammoth fourth quarter to help the Lakers hold on to a much-needed win. Scoring 20 in the fourth quarter, the star also scored 13 of these free throws from the 14 that were awarded to him in the game.
Supplementing Davis through the night was none other than King James who dished out a game-high 12 assists while chipping in with 22 points of his own.
Keeping things under control on the other end was the trio of Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and RJ Barett. The three players scored 26, 25 and 23 respectively in what went down as a valiant effort against the Purple and Gold. Despite multiple trade rumors, the Raptors maximized the usage of Siakam’s defensive spacing and his consistent 3-point shooting. Latest acquisition, Immanuel Quickley also put up 21 points in the Raptors’ loss.
The Lakers will be more than happy to keep the momentum going after back-to-back victories in their last two games, the sort of consistency the team have lacked after their glorious run in the In-Season Tournament.
What do you think of the free throw discrepancy in the Lakers-Raptors matchup? Are Raptors HC Darko Rajakovic’s statements valid? We are eager to know your thoughts and opinions regarding this issue so feel free to comment below.
