Immanuel Quickley makes an immediate impact in helping Raptors end their onerous 11-game losing streak

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Published Jan 01, 2025  •  4 minute read

Toronto Raptors' Immanuel Quickley (left) drives at Brooklyn Nets' D'Angelo Russell during an NBA game in Toronto on January 1, 2025. Photo by Chris Young /The Canadian Press

How quickly the Raptors were able to add some much-needed juice to their offence once Immanuel Quickley was back in the lineup.

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Having missed the team’s past 22 games because of an elbow injury and having played a total of three games this season, Quickley’s long-awaited return arrived on New Year’s Day when the reeling Raptors played host to the Brooklyn Nets, winning 130-113.

While he was on a minutes restriction, which was both understandable and predictable, his impact was quite noticeable.

Once RJ Barrett, who missed his second straight game because of an illness, returns, perhaps only then will the Raptors be able to fully showcase their potential.

Quickley pushed the ball, found teammates and had that calming presence only a legitimate point guard can have on a team that has been without that true floor general.

Scottie Barnes is a point forward, but is far from serving as an incumbent point guard.

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Barrett can handle the ball, ideally in transition, but there’s no one the Raptors’ roster capable of filling Quickley’s shoes.

His extended absence only magnified his importance.

Quickley posted a double-double in his return.

Despite all the good the Raptors were finally able to summon following a week of profound misery that became historic, the outcome was decided in the fourth quarter, a period in which the Raptors elevated their game.

Quickley, Barnes and Gradey Dick emerged among the best on this night, ending the team’s 11-game losing streak.

Ochai Agbaji also had a strong night as did Jakob Poeltl.

Essentially, Toronto’s starting group did the job in leading the way to the victory.

One can say with honesty that the Raptors are 1-0 this calendar year.

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Brooklyn is not good, but any win when so many blowouts and embarrassment have plagued the Raptors, they’ll gladly take it.

They clearly seized the moment in the fourth quarter in blowing out the Nets.

FORTUITOUS THREE

It figures Barnes, who has struggled mightily from three-point range, would be credited for a three on an alley-oop pass, no less.

With the Raptors wanting to play in transition, Barnes found a cutting Ochai Agbaji and launched a pass towards the rim.

Agbaji appeared to have made contact on a potential goaltending violation.

Instead, the pass found net and Barnes earned a 34-foot three-pointer.

He entered the night having missed 22 of his past 25 heaves from distance during a five-game stretch.

During the same five-game segment, Barnes had turned the ball over a combined 24 times.

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In other words, he has not been good.

Perhaps he was overdue for a break, and that arrived on an alley-oop pass that turned into a three-point make.

For once, he was not settling for deep jumpers.

When operating along the baseline, Barnes’ turnaround is virtually unstoppable, especially when matched up against a small defender.

His mid-range game is very good because of his soft touch.

What he isn’t is a three-pointer and yet he seems to be fixated far more than he should.

He did make his first three threes.

Outside of that lucky make, Barnes shot the ball in rhythm.

The Scottie shimmy followed the third three-point basket.

He was on the receiving end of an authentic lob pass when Barnes flushed home a Quickley dish to cap off an electric sequence.

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TRICKY DICKY

Dick accompanied the team to Boston for its game on Tuesday, but was ruled out in the wake of a wonky hamstring.

The team was unsure whether its second-year shooter would play against the Nets.

Credit the kid for his compete level.

He was moving well and playing well, netting 10 points in 14 minutes.

Dick also recorded a career-high when he produced his fourth steal.

His third three-pointer gave the Raptors a 63-62 lead.

A poor close out resulted in a foul to Dick, his first, with 2.3 ticks remaining in the opening half.

At the break, Toronto led 65-64.

Following a six-turnover first quarter, the Raptors limited their turnovers to one in the second period.

Six players drilled at least one three-ball as the Raptors went 9-for-18 from distance in the opening half.

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When Dick recorded his 15th point on the night, he reached the 1,000-point milestone, becoming the fourth-youngest in club history (21 years, 42 days) to attain the number and the seventh quickest (88 games).

Dick’s fourth three-pointer came on Quickley’s 12th assist.

BOOK IT

The bookies installed the Raptors as 2.5-point betting favourites for only the second time this season.

The first came last month when Brooklyn made its first visit to Scotiabank Arena on Dec. 19. In that game, Cam Johnson poured in a game-high 33 points in a 101-94 Brooklyn win as the Nets took over in the fourth quarter by outscoring the home side 31-18, including 15 points by Johnson.

What’s strange about Wednesday’s spread involved how wretched the Raptors have played entering the night.

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To recap, a franchise record for most points allowed was set in Memphis, the second-highest turnover total established in a home loss to Atlanta, followed by the lowest of the lows in Boston, where the Celtics handed Toronto its largest margin of defeat in club history.

Having played late afternoon on New Year’s Eve, the Raptors were playing the back end of a back to back, while the Nets had been sitting idle since Sunday.

Brooklyn has engineered two trades in recent weeks as it attempts to create as much salary flexibility as possible, while the Raptors are in full rebuild mode.

As expected, Bruce Brown was ruled inactive.

He has played two games since his return from off-season knee surgery and there’s no sense in having the veteran play on back-to-back nights.

Besides, the healthier he is, the more apt the Raptors are in trading Brown.

For that to happen, Brown needs to re-establish himself.

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