Raptors avoid extending losing skid

Back-to-back losses aren't the end of the world, but the Toronto Raptors weren't going to let their skid stretch to three games.

TORONTO – Back-to-back losses aren’t the end of the world, but the Toronto Raptors weren’t going to let their skid stretch to three games.

Scottie Barnes had 28 points — including 13 in the second quarter — seven rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks as Toronto held off the Portland Trail Blazers 121-118 on Tuesday. The win came after the Raptors fell to the Charlotte Hornets 118-111 on Saturday in overtime and then dropped a 116-94 decision to the New York Knicks the next night.

“This was a big-time win for us, we really needed it,” said Barnes, who was named the NBA Eastern Conference’s defensive player of the month before the game. “Dropped those two back-to-back, really feel like we should’ve had that first one, so it’s good to get back in the win column and finish out the game.”

Immanuel Quickley added 23 points with eight assists for Toronto (15-7). Quickley was 5-for-6 (83.3 per cent) from three-point range, making nearly half of the Raptors 11 shots from beyond the arc.

“I don’t get into the streaks as much,” said Quickley on losing back-to-back. “I try to just focus on one day at a time, one game at a time, one workout at a time.

“I try to just keep it all in the moment as much as possible, because the season can be so high and low.”

Although Quickley doesn’t pay attention to streaks, the pair of losses snapped a nine-win run that had elevated Toronto to second in the Eastern Conference. The victory over Portland (8-13) put the Raptors back atop the Atlantic Division and restored them to second in the East.

Part of the Toronto’s brief struggles was that it is missing RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont.