The Toronto Raptors were decisively blown out by the Memphis Grizzlies 126-155 tonight at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. The Raptors fell apart defensively and stood no chance against the contending Grizzlies, which was reflected in the energy of their coach Darko Rajakovic.
After Scottie Barnes drove to the rim in the second half but no foul call was given, Rajakovic stormed the court and went off on a profanity-laden rant, saying, ‘Call the f***ing foul’ to the referees, which led to the coach’s ejection.
Darko Rajakovic was NOT happy with a non-call on a Scottie Barnes drive.
A lot of Serbian cuss words as he gets ejected (I assume) pic.twitter.com/UByberCIuL
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) December 27, 2024
This was a brutal loss for the Raptors despite RJ Barrett‘s 27 points (10-18 FG), nine rebounds, and 10 assists, while Barnes put up 26 points (10-20 FG), six rebounds, and eight assists. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies went 58-109 from the field and 18-45 from three as they outrebounded the Raptors by 23 (63-40) and created far more offensive opportunities.
The Grizzlies are now half a game behind the Houston Rockets for the No. 2 seed in the West with a 21-10 record while the Raptors fall behind the Charlotte Hornets for sole possession of the No. 14 seed in the East with a 7-24 record.
Coach Rajakovic has a history of not holding back his anger at referees, going on one of the best rants of the season last year after a similar situation where he believed the referees weren’t calling fouls for Scottie Barnes to favor the Los Angeles Lakers. That outburst led to him being heavily fined, so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.
This is another bad season for Toronto who have chosen to be amongst the tankers this season to land a top pick next season. Given the strength of the 2025 Draft Class and the Raptors essentially solidifying a top-five pick for themselves, this roster could add a future franchise cornerstone to its mix.
They already have a productive duo with Barnes and Barrett, with both players continuing their development this season. Barrett is averaging 23.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists while Barnes is averaging 20.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists.
Barnes’s potential is fascinating, as he’s played most of this season as a point guard and has shown great development as an on-ball decision-maker.
Given losing seems to be an organizational decision for the Raptors this season, Rajakovic’s outburst seems to be out of place. It shows he’s a competitive man and he’d rather not lose games, but his hands have been tied with a poor defensive roster. Tonight, the rebounding margin and the Grizzlies’ efficiency anyway guaranteed a loss, so his outburst was a little too emotional for a head coach.
It’s good to show passion, especially if you think your players are being wronged. Rajakovic furthers his reputation as a coach who’ll fight for his players, extends greater support to his franchise cornerstone, and wins favor in the locker room. A small-picture ejection can serve a larger purpose which ensures Rajakovic has the trust of this group through this rebuilding process.
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