Raptors’ Collin Murray-Boyles drops eye-opening take after big night vs. Hawks

The Toronto Raptors have owned the Atlanta Hawks all season long, and on Monday night, they sealed a sweep of the season series against Atlanta in convincing fashion, taking a 118-100 victory. Even with the Raptors fielding a depleted frontcourt amid the absence of Jakob Poeltl, they were too much to handle on the interior — with rookie Collin Murray-Boyles playing inspired basketball in a rare start.

Murray-Boyles finished with a game-high plus-minus of plus-24, thanks in large part to his incredible work on the defensive end of the floor. The Raptors rookie is showing why he shouldn’t be dangled in trade talks for someone like Anthony Davis, as he’s showing glimpses of being a similarly disruptive defensive presence. But he wasn’t just a lockdown defensive player on the night; he also finished with 17 points on 8-10 shooting, doing his part in a balanced showing for the Raptors.

After the game, the Raptors rookie shed some light on his mentality that suggests he would achieve so much in the NBA.

“If you’re not tired, you ain’t going hard enough. I try to be as tired as possible,” Murray-Boyles said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.

Murray-Boyles recorded three steals and two blocks on the night, and he showcased so much defensive versatility by guarding the interior and the perimeter. The Raptors certainly have themselves a quality young player who’s starting to figure it out in the NBA.

Raptors deliver balanced effort in takedown of Hawks

Seven different players scored in double figures for the Raptors on Monday, and none of them scored over 20 points — with Brandon Ingram leading the way with 19.

The Raptors’ mantra all year has been strength in numbers, and RJ Barrett’s return to the active lineup has reduced the team’s reliance on jumpshots to generate offense.

Their next game will be on Wednesday night when they take on a Charlotte Hornets team fresh off a win over the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:00 PM E.T.

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