Fred VanVleet sets franchise record with 20 assists in win over Hornets

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If ever there was a need for leadership and a professional approach to a game for the Raptors, Sunday’s afternoon matchup in Charlotte was it.

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The surprise suggestion from head coach Nick Nurse on Friday that his future with the team was up in the air cast a pall of uncertainty over the team at perhaps the worst possible time.

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VanVleet, with a franchise-high 20 assists in a 128-108 win over the Charlotte Hornets, helped re-establish a team-wide focus that could have gone elsewhere in light of Nurse’s comments Friday.

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The 20 assists are the most ever by a Raptor, surpassing the 19 once accomplished by Kyle Lowry, Damon Stoudamire and twice by Jose Calderon. The individual performance was part of a season-high 38 assists overall for the Raptors in the game.

VanVleet is now the owner of the franchise’s single-game record for assists and points. He had 54 points on Feb. 2, 2021.

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VanVleet was finding teammates at will for a easy lay-ins with the Hornets going with a very inexperienced starting five courtesy of the mounting injuries the team is dealing with.

All five Toronto starters were in double figures but the biggest benefactor of VanVleet’s pinpoint passing on the day — he only had two turnovers while dishing out those 20 dimes — was forward Pascal Siakam, who sent off for 36 points and threw in seven assists of his own.

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It was a mostly complete win from start to finish. The defence did get a little loose, particularly in the third quarter when the Hornets put up a game-best 37 in the frame, but things got back on point in the fourth when Charlotte was limited to just 19 as the Raptors closed this one out easily.

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One-time Raptor Svi Mykhailiuk led the way for the Hornets with 26 as the Hornets hung around in this one based primarily on their three-point shooting. The hosts were good on 15-of-31 heaves from behind the arc in this one.

The work, though, is only half done.

With the Chicago Bulls still threatening from the 10^th position in the East and with Atlanta tied with Toronto for the eighth, getting a second game in Charlotte is going to paramount.

While the Raptors and Hornets square off Tuesday, the Hawks will be in Chicago taking on the Bulls.

It’s a prime opportunity to either lengthen the lead on the Bulls or possibly start pulling away from the Hawks. Either way, a second win in these always-tough-to-sweep two-game series could wind up putting Toronto in a very good position as the season winds down to just three games remaining.

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