101:145 against Knicks

Twelfth defeat in a row seals the end for Toronto

New York's Josh Hart in a duel with Gary Trent Jr.(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The 2023-24 NBA season will definitely end for the Toronto Raptors on April 14. After a 101:145 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday (local time), the club of Jakob Pöltl, who is recovering from finger surgery, no longer has a theoretical chance of reaching the play-in stage of the North American professional basketball league. The Canadians suffered their twelfth defeat in a row, the 50th of the season and not least the highest in their history in front of their own fans.

Gradey Dick recorded a career-best 23 points for the Raptors in his rookie season. Miles McBride led the Knicks to their highest win of the season with 29 points.

Can Pöltl play again?
It seems questionable whether Pöltl will play at all in the Canadiens' remaining nine games in the NBA basic round. The center is training lightly and without contact with his right hand, the left hand with the operated little finger is being spared. Austria's pioneer in the world's strongest basketball league last appeared against the Charlotte Hornets on March 3, when he was injured shortly before half-time. The 111:106 win against the team from North Carolina was the Raptors' last victory to date.

The Phoenix Suns surprised everyone with a 104:97 win over the Denver Nuggets. Kevin Durant scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Arizona franchise. Nikola Jokic narrowly missed out on a triple-double for the defending champions with 22 points, ten assists and nine rebounds. It was close in Philadelphia, where the LA Clippers won 108:107 against the 76ers. Paul George with 22 points for the winners and Tyrese Maxey with 26 points for the hosts were the best scorers. The Minnesota Timberwolves became the fourth team to reach the 50-win mark this season with a 106-91 win over the Detroit Pistons.