Sleepy Raptors escape on a fourth-quarter miracle against Clippers. It’s a dangerous way to live - Toronto Star

Clippers' ineptitude allows underperforming Raptors to split first two games of four-game road trip with Denver up next.

LOS ANGELES—The Raptors want to establish a style and set a high standard to reach every time they take the court.

It’s quite something to watch: disruptive defence, a ball-moving offence, a lightning-strike transition game, fun and fast and exciting, a laudable goal and an important one for a team chasing legitimate championship hopes.

It’s also the antithesis to how the Raptors have played for the last week and while it’s true the NBA season is still young and there are all kinds of factors feeding into it, the team’s play of late has not been up to snuff.

They will, however, take a gift win if they get it and it is only thanks to the fourth-quarter ineptitude of the Los Angeles Clippers that the Raptors have split the first two games of a four-game road trip after a 125-118 victory at the Intuit Dome here Monday night.

The Raptors show love to their former teammate Brandon Ingram after the game 🤝 https://t.co/Tv8u0sZQxr

A 47-27 fourth quarter salvaged the night for the Raptors after their third straight sleepy outing. It’s a dangerous way for any team to live and the Raptors truthfully got away with one Monday, but winning beats the alternative.

“I think that this game shows a lot of togetherness and the stubbornness of this group to never quit, to never give up,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “You’re going to have games like that when the game is not what we want it to be but how do you react to those moments? How do we stick together? How do we win the next possession?

“That’s what matters. I’m really proud of the guys and I think it was a very important win.”

There should be no rush for major changes, not when you’re only seven games into the season and not given the nightly changes to the roster that’s available. But the danger signs are present and they need to be addressed.

The Raptors forced only 15 turnovers against the Clippers — six in the decisive fourth quarter — and committed 13 themselves.

They got a season-low 12 fast-break points and their halfcourt offence was stagnant with only 26 assists on the night.

They were a miserable 31-for-48 from the free-throw line, a huge advantage in foul shots they didn’t capitalize on.

Raptors forward RJ Barrett, right, shoots against Clippers guard Kobe Sanders during the second half Monday night.

Those are non-negotiables to the way the Raptors want and need to play and it doesn’t matter if Kawhi Leonard’s not in the arena as he continues his away-from-the-team treatment for a swollen left knee, or that Jakob Poeltl’s on the shelf with left shoulder bursitis, or if Scottie Barnes was questionable to play Tuesday because of tightness in his left hip.

There are standards that run from the top to the bottom of the roster and they haven’t been met for three games now. In a loss at home to Orlando, a defeat at the hands of the Lakers here Sunday and in Monday’s outing against the Clippers, the Raptors have not performed anywhere near their own expectations.

But they are 4-3, have played three games without Leonard, two without Poeltl and with Barnes obviously slowed by a tender hip Monday night. Maybe it’s not great but it’s not terrible and they are learning how to manage tough times.

They trailed practically the entire game Monday but won in the final three minutes because they stuck together and kept working.

The Raptors hit town Monday to face a team that’s been under a dark cloud for almost a half-century.