Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri brushed aside the lawsuit filed against him by California sheriff's deputy Alan Strickland in connection to their encounter following the Raptors' NBA Finals victory. 

The Canadian Press (via The Globe and Mail) shared Ujiri's comments on the matter:

"It's malicious in a way. To me it's incredible that things play out like that. I think something incredible was taken away from me and I will never forget it. It is one of the things that drives me to win another championship because I want to be able to celebrate a championship the right way. This thing will be settled. The truth will come out. The truth will come out of this."

Ujiri walked onto the court at Oracle Arena to join in the celebration after the Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 and was stopped by Strickland. Authorities said Ujiri didn't have the proper credentials to be on the court.

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office alleged Ujiri "pushed the deputy striking him in the face" and wanted to pursue misdemeanor battery charges against the Raptors executive.

#BREAKING: Sheriff's deputy reportedly pushed and struck in the face by a man believed to be a Toronto Raptors executive after Game 6 of the #NBAFinals at Oracle Arena, @ACSOSheriffs says. https://t.co/fobdK9iWEq pic.twitter.com/a4X0IysY5Z

— Kristofer Noceda (@krisnoceda) June 14, 2019

The district attorney's office confirmed in October it wasn't going to formally charge Ujiri after conducting a brief investigation and interviewing eyewitnesses.

Strickland formally filed suit against Ujiri this month, claiming he "suffered, and will continue to suffer, physical, mental, emotional, and economic injuries, including, but not limited to, lost wages, lost opportunity for financial gain, future earning capacity, and past and future medical care and expenses," per USA Today's Lorenzo Reyes.

The Toronto Raptors issued a statement Tuesday (via TMZ Sports) calling the lawsuit "baseless and entirely without merit."

The Toronto Raptors released a statement Tuesday in defense of president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri after sheriff's deputy Alan Strickland filed a lawsuit alleging Ujiri attacked him following Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals in June at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

TMZ Sports provided the Raptors' full statement:

"We are disappointed but not at all surprised Mr. Strickland has elected to take this path. His claims are baseless and entirely without merit. They should and will be viewed appropriately for what they are.

"The Toronto Raptors and Masai have jointly retained very able counsel who will be handling this matter on our behalf and consequently, we do not intend to make any further statement about it."

Strickland alleged Ujiri "shoved him and hit him in the face and chest" after the Raptors clinched the NBA championship with a victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 6, per TMZ. He stated he suffered a jaw injury and a concussion.

The officer's lawsuit also names the Raptors and the NBA. He's seeking more than $75,000 in damages.

Ujiri was cleared of criminal charges by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office in October.

"The District Attorney's Office has determined that no criminal charges will be filed in the matter," a statement read. "However, Mr. Ujiri attended a meeting with the District Attorney's Office focused on matters that we believe merited constructive, structured mediation and conflict resolution and were better handled in a setting outside of the courtroom."

Ujiri also released a statement at the time.

"I am extremely pleased with the decision," he said. "While these past months have been difficult waiting for a determination on this matter, I understand the nature of the process and am appreciative of the efforts of all involved. I am happy that this is now behind me and I look forward to the task of bringing another championship to the City of Toronto."

Ujiri, 49, is an England native who grew up in Nigeria. He was named the 2012-13 NBA Executive of the Year with the Denver Nuggets and has been with the Raptors since May 2013.

California sheriff's deputy Alan Strickland is suing Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri, claiming in the lawsuit that Ujiri "hit him in the face and chest with both fists" while Strickland attempted to check his security credentials after the Raptors won Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena, according to Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star. 

The only "danger of Masai Ujiri" is if you're trading with him. pic.twitter.com/BHtHTyQ96R

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) February 10, 2020

The Alameda Police Department recommended battery charges against Ujiri after the alleged altercation, though the Alameda County District Attorney's Office decided against charging him. 

"Mr. Ujiri attended a meeting with the District Attorney's Office focused on matters that we believe merited constructive, structured mediation and conflict resolution and were better handled in a setting outside the courtroom," the Alameda District Attorney's Office said in a statement in October.

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office initially stated Ujiri didn't have any credentials on hand when he was stopped by Strickland, though videos later showed that Ujiri in fact had his credentials in his right hand. The office later said he didn't the right credentials to get onto the court: Ujiri had a red badge, it claimed, but required a purple badge and gold armband.

UPDATE: @Raptors statement on incident after #NBAFinals Game 6 involving team president and @ACSOSheriffs deputy.
“The incident is being looked at, and we are cooperating with authorities. We look forward to resolving the situation.”https://t.co/oSN3savNeL
[Video: @BENBALLER] pic.twitter.com/dUvKxbU6uM

— Kristofer Noceda (@krisnoceda) June 14, 2019

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri watches from the tunnel as the team he created for Toronto dethrones the Warriors as NBA champions. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/cLIl2wu3Hy

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) June 14, 2019

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office also said Ujiri hit Strickland with two fists and struck him in the jaw. It said it had video proof, though three eyewitness close to the altercation told Robyn Doolittle of The Globe and Mail in June that the two men exchanged shoves but Ujiri never struck the man in the face. 

In the lawsuit, Strickland said he "suffered, and will continue to suffer, physical, mental, emotional, and economic injuries, including, but not limited to, lost wages, lost opportunity for financial gain, future earning capacity, and past and future medical care and expenses," per Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today.

Toronto Raptors veteran point guard Kyle Lowry suffered whiplash against the Indiana Pacers on Friday and did not return, per Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

The 33-year-old had 16 points and 11 assists in 28 minutes before exiting.

Lowry, who already missed 11 games this season with a fractured thumb, entered Friday averaging 19.6 points and 7.3 assists during his 14th NBA campaign and eighth with the Raptors.

Entering the season, Lowry had been named an All-Star in five consecutive seasons, and he played a significant role in helping the Raptors win their first championship in franchise history last season.

In addition to putting up 14.2 points, a career-high 8.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game during the regular season, Lowry averaged 15.0 points, 6.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per contest during Toronto's lengthy playoff run.

Lowry sat out 17 games last season and 22 games two seasons before that, so being without Lowry for a period of time isn't a foreign concept to the Raptors.

Even so, it is a significant loss whenever Lowry misses time since he is the Raptors' clear and obvious leader on the court, and there isn't another player on the roster who brings his type of leadership and hard-nosed play to the point guard position.

If Lowry does miss some time, Fred VanVleet will take on the bulk of his minutes at point guard. Terence Davis could also see more minutes in the backcourt.

The Raptors don't have the same quality depth they had on last year's team with the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green leaving in free agency, so it is more difficult to weather the storm when a player of Lowry's caliber lands on the shelf.

Toronto has been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference despite its big losses in free agency, though, which means it has some margin for error until Lowry returns.

Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell will reportedly miss an indefinite amount of time after suffering a fracture to the fourth metacarpal of his left hand, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN's The Undefeated.

Powell finished Friday's 105-92 win over the Detroit Pistons with 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes off the bench.

The 26-year-old Powell has helped the reigning NBA champion Raptors get off to a 35-14 start this season, which is good for second place in the Eastern Conference.

Powell is in the midst of a career year with averages of 15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 49.8 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from beyond the arc. Injuries have been an issue, however.

In December and January, Powell missed 11 consecutive games while nursing a shoulder injury.

Powell averaged just 18.8 minutes per game last season, but with Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green both leaving in free agency, that number has jumped to 28.2 minutes per game. He has also started 17 of the 38 games he has appeared in after starting just three games last season.

Toronto is a deep and talented team, but head coach Nick Nurse will have to get creative while Powell is on the shelf.

Guards Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet will likely share the floor often, and wing OG Anunoby figures to see his minutes increase as well.

In terms of bench players, Patrick McCaw, Terence Davis and Matt Thomas are all in line for more playing time too, although none of them bring the same versatile skill set to the table that Powell does.

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry spoke out about fan conduct after he was pushed by someone sitting courtside late in Thursday's road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.   

"You're diving for a loose ball, and a fan's pushing you. It's unbelievable, man," Lowry said, per Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. "Our fans, our NBA fans, shouldn't be represented by people like him."

The incident came in the final minutes when Lowry saved a ball from going out of bounds, leading to an important Serge Ibaka three that pushed the Raptors lead to four points.

"It's the second time it's happened to me, and it's kind of getting crazy because next time it happens, I don't know if I'll be able to control myself. And hopefully I will, but..." Lowry said. "I couldn't really react because I was in mid-play, but it will come up. Fans like that shouldn't be in our buildings, in our arenas."

The first incident he's referring to came on a similar play during a road game against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals last June.

Lowry dove into the stands to save a loose ball, but the fan gave him an extra shove before he returned to the court.

"He had no reason to touch me," Lowry said after that game. "He had no reason to reach over two seats and then say some vulgar language to me."

A second push from a fan has now clearly gotten to the veteran.

The NBA has been aggressive trying to prevent negative interactions between players and fans. Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas was suspended two games for entering the stands earlier this season, while the two fans shouting obscenities at him were banned for a year.

Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol left his team's home game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday with left hamstring tightness, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Gasol scored 10 points in 16 minutes prior to the injury.

The big man's left hamstring caused him to miss time earlier this season. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Dec. 19 that Gasol was expected to be out with a left hamstring strain suffered during Toronto's 112-99 win over the Detroit Pistons "for the foreseeable future," depending on his rehabilitation program.

The Raptors officially listed Gasol as "out indefinitely." He returned on Jan. 15.

The 34-year-old three-time All-Star averaged 7.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 28.1 minutes per game across 34 starts heading into Tuesday.

The Memphis Grizzlies traded Gasol to Toronto prior to last season's league trade deadline.

The 2012-13 Defensive Player of the Year appeared in 26 regular-season games (19 starts) down the stretch for the Raptors, averaging 9.1 points and 6.6 rebounds in 24.9 minutes, but was most pivotal during Toronto's run to its first NBA title. Gasol averaged 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 blocks in 30.6 minutes across 24 postseason games.

The Raptors depended on Serge Ibaka and Chris Boucher to split center duties while Gasol missed time in December, and they can do so again this time around.

Even though the Toronto Raptors have been among the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, they could still reportedly be sellers ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry could all be moved in the next few weeks.

"Some teams believe the Raptors would listen to calls on players like Gasol and Serge Ibaka, both of whom are in the final years of their contracts and, seemingly, not in their long-term plans," Woike wrote. "There's also speculation that Kyle Lowry could be had at the right price."

That's despite the Raptors entering Sunday in third place in the East with a 28-14 record.

While the squad's performance over the first half of the season has surprised many after losing Kawhi Leonard to free agency, the Raptors are still 40-1 to repeat as champions, per Caesars.

After winning it all last season, Toronto might feel less inclined to fight for just an early exit in the playoffs. Instead, the team could start preparing for the future around Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet.

Gasol and Ibaka have expiring contracts that could either help a team's payroll flexibility or help another contender compete for a title.

Though Gasol is having a down year offensively (7.2 points per game), he leads the Raptors in defensive box plus-minus, per Basketball Reference. Ibaka has put up impressive numbers in his 11th year in the league, averaging 15.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, trading Lowry would be the most surprising development considering he has five straight All-Star selections and has been with the team for eight seasons. He is also leading the club with 20.4 points and 7.6 assists per game this year.

However, with VanVleet ready to step in as the lead guard, the team wouldn't see much of a drop-off.

Team President Masai Ujiri has been creative with trades in the past—shockingly dealing DeMar DeRozan two years ago—making it impossible to rule out any of these deals ahead of the 2020 deadline.

Kyle Lowry led the Toronto Raptors back from a 23-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks 110-107 at Scotiabank Arena Sunday afternoon.  

It marked Toronto's fifth straight victory and the largest comeback in franchise history (h/t TSN Sports' Josh Lewenberg).

Raptors fans showered Kyle Lowry, who led the Raptors with 32 points, with praise:

🗣 “LOWRY, LOWRY, LOWRY”

Toronto is loving the comeback pic.twitter.com/Ab3P8C6uLA

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) December 22, 2019

Toronto trailed by 30 points with 2:55 remaining in the third quarter. Lowry bucketed 20 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, and the Raptors outscored the Mavs 47-21 in that final period.

Raptors erased a 30 point deficit in the 4th 🤯

Lowry outscoring the Mavs with 18 and counting pic.twitter.com/LPRySUJkJg

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) December 22, 2019

Lowry also assisted on Chris Boucher's game-winning dunk with 25.8 seconds remaining in regulation:

BOUCHER 🔨 pic.twitter.com/lr1JUVd6gz

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) December 22, 2019

Dallas was notably without reigning Rookie of the Year Luke Doncic, who sprained his right ankle on Dec. 14. Jalen Brunson, who has been starting at point guard in Doncic's place, led the Mavericks with 21 points. 

The Raptors showed their championship grit as they were without forward Pascal Siakam (groin), guard Norman Powell (shoulder) and center Marc Gasol (hamstring). Toronto listed all three players as out indefinitely on Thursday.

Siakam has led the team in scoring with 25.1 points per game through 27 starts, while Powell was the hottest he's been all season, averaging 17.7 points in December.

Lowry compensated for the loss of Siakam's and Powell's scoring, but the defensive void left behind by Gasol was filled collectively:

The Siakam-less, Gasol-less, Powell-less Raptors were down 30 - THIRTY - with 2:03 left in the 3rd quarter. They proceeded to outscore Dallas 55-22 over the next 14 minutes, with Kyle Lowry singlehandedly outscoring the Mavs 23-22 during that time

— Joseph Casciaro (@JosephCasciaro) December 22, 2019

In addition to Lowry, a big-time effort from the bench - Chris Boucher, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Terence Davis and Malcolm Miller. They completely changed the game with their defense.

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 22, 2019

It's not that Lowry makes bench units better, it's that Lowry makes every unit better.

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 22, 2019

The Raptors bench outscored Mavs reserves 48-20. 

"Historically, I would say we've always been a team that fights," Toronto head coach Nick Nurse told reporters postgame. "We hardly ever mail it in. That's a good quality to have."

Nurse added he has "never seen anything like" Lowry's fourth-quarter performance.

The NBA hadn't seen anything like the Raptors' comeback since 2009:

Raps PR tells me ...last nba team to come back from down 30 ....
Sacramento...beat chicago ...dec 21, 2009

— Eric Smith (@Eric__Smith) December 22, 2019

According to Eric Smith, the largest comeback in franchise history prior to Sunday's triumph involved closing a 25-point deficit against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 11, 2010.

Toronto improved to 21-8 with the win, tied with the Miami Heat for third in the Eastern Conference, while the Mavericks dropped to 19-10.

The Raptors have proved so far this season they won't be an easy out despite reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard choosing to depart for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency. Sunday's performance was a statement that the defending champions are still the defending champions without him.

The Toronto Raptors announced star forward Pascal Siakam is out indefinitely with a stretched groin, via Blake Murphy of The Athletic.  

He suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons.

Center Marc Gasol (left hamstring) and Norman Powell (left shoulder) are also considered out indefinitely, which removes three key players from the Raptors rotation.     

While depth is a major issue going forward, especially in the frontcourt, losing Siakam for any amount of time is the biggest concern for this squad.

The 25-year-old was the league's Most Improved Player last season and might be more deserving of the award this year after turning himself into one of the best big men in the NBA. 

He exited the victory over the Pistons averaging 25.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals this season. He has become more aggressive offensively and is shooting a career-high 39.2 percent from three-point range.

This comes after he was already one of the most efficient players in the league last year while averaging 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds. He ranked 16th in the NBA with 9.3 win shares for a squad that eventually took home an NBA title.

Many expected Toronto to take a step back this year with Kawhi Leonard leaving for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, but Siakam's production has kept the squad among the best in the Eastern Conference. It entered Thursday with a 19-8 record.

The latest run of injuries will put more pressure on Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet, with Serge Ibaka likely taking on a bigger role down low.