The Toronto Raptors once again fought hard against a top-shelf opponent, but once again came up short, this time losing to the Dallas Mavericks 102-98.
In a tightly contested affair — 22 lead changes — the Mavericks just had a deeper bench and fresher legs, and made just a few more plays down the stretch. The effort is there, the talent is there for this Raptors team. But without Khem Birch and Gary Trent Jr., and with no semblance of a bench, it’s a tough task for Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam — 42, 43, and 43.