Boucher gets more playing time for Raptors

Chris Boucher was back, for at least one game.

TORONTO – Chris Boucher was back, for at least one game.

The veteran forward spent most of last season at the far end of the Toronto Raptors’ bench, rarely seeing playing time. Even with the team rocked by a raft of injuries, Boucher averaged 14.1 minutes of play over 50 games, his lowest numbers in both categories since the 2019-20 season.

But Boucher was the first Raptor substituted into the game in Toronto’s 136-106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. He finished with a team-best 18 points and made four of five three-pointers.

“Everybody wants to be on the floor and last season was a little bit harder for me to find minutes,” said Boucher, who grew up in Montreal. “But I can’t stop. The goal is to get better and the plan is to help this team.

“Right now that’s all I’m trying to do now. I’m trying to be effective more and need to find ways to impact the game.”

Boucher averaged 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in his limited playing time last season. Those numbers are all below his career average of 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and one block per game.

The relatively undersized Raptors will need his six-foot-nine frame this season, especially with backup centre Kelly Olynyk (back) of Kamloops, B.C., out to start the campaign. As it is, six-foot-five Ochai Agbaji started at forward for Toronto on Wednesday.

“You just keep believing that it’s going to get better,” said Boucher. “At this point, every time I’ve been with the Raptors it’s been a lot of injuries that comes and goes.