Toronto Raptors Media Availability | Postgame at Los Angeles Lakers | January 9, 2024

Toronto Raptors Media Availability | Postgame at Los Angeles Lakers | January 9, 2024

Shot 23 free throws in that fourth quarter what you thank you Doug thank you Doug that’s that’s that’s outrageous what happened tonight this is completely BS this is shame shame for the referees shame for the league to allow this 23 free throws for them and we get two free

Throws in in a fourth quarter like how to play the game I all I understand uh respect for all stars and all that but we have star players on our team as well how’s possible that Scotty Barnes who is Allstar caliber player in this league he

Goes every single time to the rim with force and trying to get get to to the rim without flopping and and not trying to get foul calls he gets two uh three throws for a whole game how is that possible how you going to explain that

That to me they had to win tonight if that’s if that’s the case just let us know so we don’t show up for the game just give them a win but that that was not fair tonight and and this is not happening first time for us Scotty

Barnes is going to be all star he’s going to be the face of this league and what what’s happening over here during whole season I’ve been holding you back it’s a complete crap do you feel like you’re getting any explanations at all that offensive foul did you did you see like get any

Explanations no no there is no explanation they just they just come up there they review what and they see what they want to see they don’t want to hear us what we got to say they don’t want to hear the players they they they don’t just want to protect us over the game

They got 36 free throws 23 free throws in in the fourth quarter what are we talking about what are we talking about how are we going to supposed to play this a one off or do you feel this has been happening to your team a lot throughout the season it’s happening a

Lot but I’m telling our guys be professional keep fighting keep going for the next one but until when for how long been around a while I mean when a coach really takes I don’t know if you if anyone let you know Darko really came in here really was very hard on the

Officials and when a coach you know is want to take a find like that and really speak up what uh how does how do players react to something like that uh excuse me I just say is that you know um you know he’s all for us you know he’s all

For us as a as a family as a team um you know we’re always going to stick together um you know we’re always going to be behind one another and he’s always has been behind us since day one coming in here um he’s going to continue to

Fight for us and you know we love Darko to death um you know we uh we definitely think the world of coaching and we appreciate you know him you know going the back for us um you know but you know this was a tough game for us um you know

Things happened towards the towards the end of games and throughout the you know course of games and you know um calls are made calls a miss you know it happens you know and we just got to move on to the next one what was what was your game play I guess by Committee

Against Davis uh just like you said just by committee um you know obviously um him and brunn’s going to have the ball in their hands 80 90% of the time so you um you know a lot of shots is going to go up you know a lot of opportunities for

Them and you know for us it’s just about just playing basketball um but you know um I think you know for us you know it’s just a we had a few miscues and you know a few balls that didn’t go our way Dad when you think about just the

Level of preparation that you still put in every single day and then to have this moment um that you seize and take advantage of um what does that discipline look like for you at this point of your career um just you know next man mentality um no matter how you

Know or what the situation is just always be ready um just always have that next man mentality um you know when you know yaka goes down you um you know your numers called you got to just be be ready and you know I put in a lot of

Time a lot of preparation each and every day um you know with our play groups and you know playing with the coaches and and playing with other guys on the team uh and just making sure that you know I’m always going to be there as a leader

And be vocal and you know just going out there and just making sure that you know I’m helping my team you know as much as possible and doing it to the best of my abilities but seizing a moment and opportunity you know I’ve been around a long time so I understand exactly you

Know what that means and I understand how to go out there and do it I mean I know that you’re locked into the game game plan all of that but on the human side of things is there any parts of you that knows that you’re going up against LeBron James for the

40th yes and you’re not sitting there like dang I’ve been here a minute yeah I was like the first thing I said was like like oh I get the start against uh Anthony Davis and LeBron it’s a a heck of a start right but um you know I’m I’m all

For the battle you know I’m all for I’m a warrior and you know I’ve been doing this for years like I said you know over thousand games played just like those guys so you know it’s just a matter of just going out there and just continue

To battle and continue to be a leader and continue to fight um just what type of value does you know IQ bring not just on the court but when you see him skipping and now you got the whole bench skipping what that what does that do is posit is it positivity um contagious

Yeah for sure you um you know for them you know those guys found uh New Life coming to our team and coming from a situation that they probably seen as difficult and now they’re in a different situation where they have more of opportunity in their season the moment

Uh RJ and IQ have done a really good job of coming in and getting acclimated to our system and just playing um and that’s what I always preach to both of them just play basketball and you know just make sure that you know you’re taking advantage of the moments and

They’ve been doing a really good job of that but you know IQ brings a lot to the game you know he’s a a very very very good solid solid guard and he knows how to go out there and play he’s going to make shots and he’s going to put us on

His back sometimes you know in games and you know we’re going to have other players that’s going to do the same thing what have you been able to see from Scotty I mean obviously this is not the first time that he’s played the Lakers but you go up against a guy like

LeBron who doesn’t shrink in the moment and then you have a game like this that requires Scotty to not shrink in the moment um have you seen that edge to Scotty develop over your time with him Scotty’s going uphill I mean you know he’s he’s developing into you know what

We all think Scotty can be and he’s showing it each and every night you know he’s worked on his jump shot he’s gotten better at that he’s making him at a high high clip he’s getting downhill he’s punishing guys he’s rebounding the basketball he’s blocking shots like like

He’s all over the all over the court and he’s done you know a heck of a job and putting us on his back night after night um you know with the other guys and you know but you know he’s he’s that type of player you know he’s he’s that a highle

Player um going into Superstar mode you know I see it for him um and he’s continuing to work and he’s a very very smart individual he has a high basketball IQ he knows how to play basketball and that’s what you love about him that he knows how to play

Basketball he doesn’t just have the physical attributes but he has the brain to go with it as well just following up on what you said in terms of you know IQ in AR to kind of break new life into this team do you feel like you know the

Rest of the the guys responding to like their presence or their energy I don’t know what what you want to quantify it as um have you seen them step up as well just because of I don’t know maybe this change uh I mean I think they’re just playing basketball I think we’re all

Just playing basketball like we’re still in the process of like figuring certain things out like obviously like me being inserted with the the starting unit we have we have some things to figure out as well but uh for the most part I think you know we are doing very well and we

Are going out there and doing the things that we need to do um you know those guys you know like I said they found New Life coming here and you know they’re playing at a super high level each and every night and we’re going to continue to need that you know throughout the

Course of this season and uh I think they’re more than capable of doing it and doing better

Players and Coach speak with the media following the Raptors’ 132-131 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

0:00 Darko Rajakovic
1:59 Thaddeus Young

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