Behind Norman Powell‘s 23 point performance, the Toronto Raptors Summer League squad remains undefeated. They move to 3-0 after defeating the Dallas Mavericks 80-69 on Monday.
Toronto Raptors Summer League team move to 3-0 with victory over the Dallas Mavericks
Defense was a major contributor to the victory as the Raptors held the Mavericks to 35% field goal shooting for the game and to just 23% from beyond the arc.
Dallas was unable to secure a consistent rhythm on offense, struggling from the field as they had 16 more shot attempts than the Raptors.
For the Raptors Summer League team, their more experienced prospects such as guard Norman Powell, forward Bruno Caboclo, and rookie centre Jakob Poeltl were key contributors in this victory.
Norman Powell Continues to Impress
Raptors young, up-and-coming swingman Norman Powell continues to impress. He put 23 points, 3 rebounds and a steal in 26 minutes of action. The three-pointer continued to fall nicely for Powell. He showcased his range going 3/5 from beyond the arc.
Powell emerged as a quality rotation contributor for the Raptors last season; appearing in 49 games while starting 24.
“Being there when my team needs me – being a leader and controlling the pace and emotions” said Powell after the game when asked by the media about his role on the team.
Poeltl Contributes
Former first round pick Bruno Caboclo was the only other Raptor player to reach double digit scoring as Caboclo chipped in 9 points, along with 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
Jakob Poeltl, who was the 9th pick in this years NBA Draft, had a solid night contributing 9 points, 7 rebounds and a block.
Poeltl has performed well over the first three games averaging 7 points, 7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. With the team losing back-centre Bismack Biyombo in free agency, the Raptors are hoping that Poeltl can prove to be a quality back up for the team’s starting centre Jonas Valanciunas.
Jameel Warney provided one of the few bright spots for the Mavericks this game. Warney was the team’s leading scorer with 14 points in just 20 minutes of action.
The boxscore of this game can be found here.
The Toronto Raptors end their preliminary Summer League schedule with an unblemished record of 3-0.
Dallas will be looking to rebound from the loss as they take on the Boston Celtics Tuesday.
Riding the momentum, the Raptors squad will take the court again on Wednesday. The opponent is yet to be determined.
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