Pascal Siakam with a 24-point double-double leads the Raptors to a win against the Hornets just after his All-Star snub.
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Hours after LaMelo Ball got his first-time All-Star selection over Pascal Siakam and other top candidates as a replacement for the injured Kevin Durant, the Charlotte Hornets took on the Toronto Raptors at the Spectrum Center.
Siakam looked all-in for the game to get the answers for his All-Star snub. But LaMelo came off pretty rusty. He shot just over 26% from the field and 16% from the perimeter, scoring just 15 points in the game that could rather have been a close encounter if the first time All-Star hit his shots.
Toronto #Raptors stay hot, knock-off the Charlotte Hornets 116-101 to extend winning streak to six 6⃣
Chris Boucher 8p/6r#WeTheNorth #NBA75 #AllFly pic.twitter.com/ms0XVh6ezH
— BasketballBuzz.ca 🇨🇦🏀🍁 (@basketballbuzz) February 8, 2022
In a somewhat similar fashion to the start of their season, the Raptors literally ball watched their 23-point lead nearly vanish when Miles Bridges led Hornets came storming back in the second half.
If this match took place during the start of the season or even a month ago, the Raptors would have surely lost the game, but they fought back in this one like they’ve been doing since the end of January.
Leading his team to yet another victory, the 2020 All-Star has made the Raptors one of the best teams to watch in the East.
Pascal Siakam leads Raptors to cruise past LaMelo Ball’s Hornets
The 116-101 victory over the Hornets brings the Raptors their sixth straight victory, which is the longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference this season.
Siakam has been the major contributor in all of those wins, averaging around 24-points, 11-rebounds, 5.5-assists, 2 steals, and a block. He almost had a triple-double in the night against the Hornets.
Pascal Siakam almost messed around and got a triple double 🔥
Raptors with the road dub over the Hornets. pic.twitter.com/ij8WwqAR99
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 8, 2022
Raptors led by Pascal Siakam, first-time All-Star – Fred VanVleet, and a resilient Garry Trent Jr. are slowly and steadily becoming a contender in their conference. With a 29-23 record, they now sit at 6th position over the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics.
Having one of the youngest squads in the league, everyone expected the Raptors to be a good team in coming years. But playing at this level in the current season, they are making the Eastern Conference a tough place to be in for any team.