Article content
A day after a betting bombshell dropped on their lap, the Raptors continued to deal with the aftershocks.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Until some kind of resolution is reached, chances are quite high the club will be forced to endure this dark, hovering cloud.
Article content
Unwittingly, the alleged issue surrounding Jontay Porter has taken all the attention off the team’s 11-game losing streak as it gets set to play host to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
R.J. Barrett, whose brother Nathan passed away two weeks ago, and Immanuel Quickley — both one-time members the Knicks — returned to practice Tuesday when the beleaguered and depleted club reconvened at its practice facility.
In normal times, Barrett and Quickley would be the stories. Each practised as the door remains open for both being available on Wednesday.
“It’s a possibility, but we’ll see how realistic,” said head coach Darko Rajakovic, who was once again deluged by questions surrounding Porter, but once again unable to provide anything other than a polite ‘no comment.’
Advertisement 3
Article content
He did say no one had reached out regarding the NBA’s investigation into Porter following multiple cases of betting irregularities over the past several months, following a story ESPN broke Monday hours before the Raptors lost to the Brooklyn Nets — a night the visitors ended a six-game slide playing a Toronto team missing seven players.
At issue are prop bets involving Porter from games on Jan. 26 against the L.A. Clippers and March 20 vs. the Sacramento Kings, games in which Porter left early.
“I’m just praying for him,’’ Bruce Brown said. “Obviously you don’t want to see someone going through something like that.
“I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t want to comment too much.”
Brown won a championship ring last spring with the Denver Nuggets, a team featuring Michael Porter Jr., Jontay’s older brother.
Article content
Advertisement 4
Article content
When the Raptors were in the Mile High City earlier this month, Jontay Porter produced one of his finest games as a pro. The Porter brothers were on the same floor competing against each other for the first time at the NBA level.
Post-game, the two would exchange jerseys at mid-court.
Recommended from Editorial
-
EXPLAINER: Raptors’ Jontay Porter gambling controversy for Dummies
-
Dark clouds continue to hover over Raptors during 11th straight loss
Jontay Porter went from that high to being the centre of an alleged betting scandal that has become the story in the NBA.
From the moment Brown was acquired by the Raptors, one issue or another has plagued the team on top of the losing.
Friends, said Brown, have never been approached him on the subject of sports betting. Even if they did, he added, Brown would refuse to answer any questions.
Advertisement 5
Article content
“People around me know the rules,’’ he continued.
Betting on sports has always been popular, but especially so in today’s times when legalized gambling is virtually everywhere.
“It’s crazy,” Ochai Agbaji said. “It’s just part of our sports now. It’s something that’s on a weird line right now.
“I feel like sports betting has always been around, but it hasn’t been as popular. It’s becoming more popular and obviously you’re gonna have stuff like this. And it’s unfortunate, but stuff like this is gonna happen, especially when stuff is so close — like sports betting and gambling and the sport itself is being crossed … You see (it) everywhere.”
Amid this swirling maelstrom, Kelly Olynyk resorted to levity when asked if people had approached him for an any intel that could be gambling-related, such as player availability.
Advertisement 6
Article content
“No, not outside of my mom, who is worried about my health,” he said.
The rule of thumb for players is to not gamble or else they will pay the price. There hasn’t been a gambling scandal in the NBA since referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty on federal charges after betting on games he officiated during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
Like most pro leagues, the NBA has made its bed with legalized sports betting and has established business partnerships with gambling companies.
League rules prohibit all employees, including players, coaches and referees, from gambling on NBA games. Violators of the gambling policy are subject to fines, suspensions and contract termination.
Recently, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves was fined $100,000 US for suggesting the league’s referees were influenced by gamblers.
Advertisement 7
Article content
To recap, the investigation into the betting irregularities that has allegedly ensnared Porter, the prop bets on Jan. 26 and March 20 were the top moneymakers with Porter’s made three-pointers set at 0.5 for both games.
Before leaving each tip, Porter didn’t attempt a shot from distance, citing an eye aggravation and an illness as reasons for his exit, respectively.
For the record, on Wednesday the Raptors will be without Scottie Barnes, Chris Boucher, D.J. Carton, Jakob Poeltl and, of course, Porter, who is not with the team. The players who are available must solider on, possibly including Barrett and Quickley.
“It’s been really tough, a gauntlet of injuries, off the court stuff, hard-hitting stuff,” Olynyk said. “It’s something you literally cannot prepare for. It’s tough to handle as players, staff, organization.
Advertisement 8
Article content
“But I think it’s one of those things, all in all, it probably makes you stronger and makes you come together as a team. That’s kind of the way you have to use it, keep fueling yourself and keep getting better.
“And a lot of guys are getting opportunities here that they might not have gotten. I hope they are seizing those opportunities and taking advantage of them to the best of their abilities and hopefully they can parlay it into something for them that maybe they wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to do (on another team).
“It’s tough, it’s really tough, but there’s always a silver lining and you’ve got to look at the positives in everything.”
Article content