Raptors look to bounce back without injured all-star DeMar DeRozan

Jan 23, 2017 | 9:30 AM

TORONTO — Wearing fuzzy slippers, all-star guard DeMar DeRozan limped across the Toronto Raptors practice court Monday after meeting the media. You could have timed him with an hourglass.

DeRozan will miss at least the next two games with a sprained right ankle after landing on the foot of teammate Jonas Valanciunas in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 115-103 loss to visiting Phoenix. While DeRozan will be re-evaluated at the end of the week, his snail-like pace Monday suggested two games might be optimistic.

“It sucks,” said DeRozan. “Because I tried to go in with the mindset this year of playing all 82 (games) … But things happen. Maybe it’ll just force me to sit down and get a rest for a couple of days and come back better.”

The loss of DeRozan — and his 27.9 points a game, good for sixth in the league — comes at an inopportune time. The Raptors have lost three straight for the first time since November 2015, succumbing 94-89 in Philadelphia and 113-78 in Charlotte prior to fading in the fourth quarter at home to Phoenix in a game that saw Toronto miss nine layups.

During that stretch, Toronto has ranked last in field goal percentage (37.6 per cent) and points scored (90.0) and 28th in rebounds (37.0).

It doesn’t get any easier Tuesday when Toronto (28-16) hosts San Antonio. Going into Monday’s game in Brooklyn, the Spurs (34-9) had won three straight including a 118-115 overtime win in Cleveland on Sunday, and were 20-5 since Nov. 29.

Toronto is 11-30 against San Antonio all-time and has lost 18 of the last 23 meetings, including a 110-82 decision in Texas on Jan. 3.

Coach Dwane Casey preached calm.

“It’s not time to panic,” he told reporters. “We’re going through a tough time. Every team goes through this time every year. But it’s how you come out of it.

“We’re a little discombobulated with injuries, but that’s no excuse.”

On the plus side, forward Patrick Patterson made it through practice Monday — a sign his sore knee might allow him to play.

Casey said it will take the entire roster to reverse direction — and make up the gap left by DeRozan.

“It’s about every guy. It’s not just one guy, it’s the whole team.”

And his team remains second in the Eastern Conference, he reminded listeners. “It’s not like we’re chopped liver.”

Casey said the Raptors are suffering from a combination of problems at both ends of the court that has seen them lose their rhythm.

“We’re not going to solve all the problems in one game,” he said. “The one thing you can do is continue to compete and play tough in tough times.”

Casey also said his players have spent too much time rueing missed offensive opportunities when they should be thinking defence at the other end.

“Right now, I think, one of our issues is we’re carrying some of our missed shots down to the defensive end and not locking in defensively.”

With Pau Gasol (finger) out injured, the Spurs have signed veteran power forward/centre Joel Anthony to a 10-day contract. The 34-year-old from Montreal previously played for Miami, Boston and Detroit. 

 

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press