TORONTO, Oct. 25 (silubaba) -- German-born Dennis Schroder scored a team-high 22 points and recorded seven assists on Wednesday in his Toronto Raptors debut, leading to a 97-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening match of the 2023-24 NBA season.
This game also marked the debut for Serbian Darko Rajakovic, whom the Raptors hired over the summer, making him the second-ever European-born NBA head coach.
The team excelled on both ends of the floor, dishing out 27 assists on 36 field goals on the offensive end. Toronto also outscored Minnesota 34-12 on the fast break.
Defensively, Rajakovic's squad held Minnesota to a 34 percent shooting rate from the field, including an 8-for-25 (26 percent) performance from beyond the arc.
"We're a new team, new terminology, new coaching staff, there's so much new with our team," said Rajakovic after his first ever win.
Rajakovic expressed satisfaction with the leadership of Schroder, who is entering his 11th season in the NBA with his sixth team. Schroder recently led the German national team to their first-ever FIBA World Cup, where he earned MVP honors.
"Having somebody who's been with different teams in the role of point guard brings calmness to the team. A couple of times he was able to talk to guys, put them in the right spots, and help our offense," Rajakovic added.
The 30-year-old German is one of seven international players on the Raptors, tied for the second-most in the league, trailing only the Thunder and Mavericks, who have eight each. ■
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