Early struggles continue as Raptors fall to 0-2

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The Raptors scored 39 points in the first quarter but followed it up with just 19 in the second, which included a 5:40 span in which they went scoreless going 0-for-10 from the field.

The Spurs took a three-point lead into the half.

Unlike the opener in Tampa, Toronto’s new home away from home, the Raptors got back to attacking the paint which got them the lead in the first place.

For the game the Raptors were just 15-for-41 from distance, which has been a bit of a costly area for the team through two games.

When the Raptors have been good they’ve been getting inside the opponent’s defence and getting to the rim.

The dagger in this one, a game either team could have won as head coach Nick Nurse pointed out, came in the dying minutes as the Spurs scored the final nine points of the game to beat the Raptors.

Pivotal down the stretch was a charge called on Pascal Siakam that looked to be a block and had Nurse letting the officials know as he left the floor exactly what he thought of that call.

“Yep, that was it,” Nurse said keeping his comments short. “We were up four, not much time to go in the game, pretty critical call.”

The game was not without its high points for the visitors.

It began with Aron Baynes looking like he was going to put the team on his back and in the process send a message to his former employers. But early foul trouble for Baynes, who scored nine of the Raptros’ first 21 points, opened the door for Chris Boucher and Boucher took full advantage of the opportunity.