Raptors have matched a unique NBA all-time record this season
The Toronto Raptors may not be winning a ton of games this season, but they’ve still found a way to find themselves in the NBA record books.
As per TSN’s Keerthika Uthayakumar, the Raptors have now hit 30 games in a row with at least 25 assists, which ties the 1984-85 Lakers for the longest such streak in NBA history.
Raptors have recorded at least 25 assists in 30 consecutive games, tying the longest such streak in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/sSHtOgwVln
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) January 31, 2024
The Lakers were led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and went on that year to win the NBA title.
At 16-30 and with no players on the current roster who have ever made the All-Star Game, it seems unlikely Toronto will find themselves NBA champions anytime soon.
Interestingly, Toronto is the only team on the list of five to have a losing record.
The Lakers lost in the 1984 NBA Finals, as did the 2018-19 Warriors. Meanwhile, the 1986-87 Trail Blazers were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs after going 53-29.
These days, Toronto fans might be more focused on the May 12 Draft Lottery than the possibility of winning a playoff series.
The team-focused style of ball movement has been a hallmark of first-year coach Darko Rajakovic, who has consistently preached a diversified attack on the offensive end.
Toronto’s 29.6 assists per game currently rank second league-wide, behind only the league’s top offence in the Indiana Pacers, who are putting up 31.1 a night. Toronto’s high assist totals haven’t quite translated to a great offence on the whole, however: their 114.5 points per night ranks just 18th league-wide.
The Raptors may be an anomaly, but perhaps the playstyle will play out well in the long run.
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