Ahead of the Raptors’ matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Darko Rajaković outlined a “recipe for disaster” his team couldn’t fall to, like they had the last time they played Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. & Co.

The Raptors would need to play solid transition defence, avoid second-chance points and limit Memphis’ good shooting — all categories they’re among the best at in the league.

On Wednesday night, the Raptors couldn’t avoid a similar fate, as the Grizzles proved why they sit second in the Western Conference, picking up a 131-107 win behind a combined 58 points from Jackson Jr. and Morant, who looked as good as any player in the NBA.

As a team, the Grizzles were too big, too strong and too fast, especially for a Raptors squad that was without three of its starters in R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and most importantly Jakob Poeltl. In turn, the outcome in Toronto gave Memphis its 10th win over the last 11 games for a 35-16 record, and knocked the Raptors down to 16-35 on the season.

“It was a rough night,” said Rajaković. “I thought that first half, we did a really good job. … But in the second half they came back, and they were really dominating the glass, and it was really hard to catch up with them in transition.”

It was in the second half that the Grizzlies made easy work of the Raptors, outscoring them 85-48. Throughout that stretch, they scored 24 of their 29 second chance points, while shooting 57 per cent from the field and 39% from three-point distance.

The Raptors did manage to hold them to a below-average 14 fast break points for the game. However, that didn’t stop the Grizzlies from their run-and-gun style of play. When they missed, they cleaned it back up, with the team finishing with 60 points in the paint, while winning the rebounding battle 62-34, as the Grizzlies also collected 25 offensive rebounds.

Ochai Agbaji, who was tied for a team-high 14 points (3-4 from distance) while coming off the bench, had a similar critique as Rajaković, saying their “general effort to make the next play, to give extra effort on the boards, and to go track down loose balls and win 50/50 balls; I think that’s where the game really got out of our hands.”

The Raptors entered half-time up 59-53, but it was Morant who came back out with a vengeance, scoring 12 points in the opening six minutes of the frame. He would score 16 (5-7 from the field) of his 26 points in the third quarter, helping the Grizzles go up by double-digits, as he made dazzling play after play, as both a scorer and playmaker.

What makes Morant so tough to guard, says Agbaji, is his ability to get in the paint to provide touches for his team, while allowing them to play with a fast and free pace both in the half court and in transition, as he always finds a way to get downhill.

Rajaković says that Canadian rookie Zach Edey is doing a great job of playing with Morant. Standing at a “huge” 7-foot-3, Edey is using his size well in pick-n-rolls. It’s a lot for an opposing defender to go over the screen, says Rajaković, while noting that if you go under, it creates a lot of space for Morant to get downhill.

The Raptors head coach also credited Edey’s positioning following the initial action, saying he does a great job staying in the lane to give himself second-chance opportunities.

It helped the Toronto-native, who played his first NBA game in Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday, finish the night with 13 points and 14 rebounds, which included five on the offensive glass, tied for a game-high.

Another massive presence tonight was Jackson Jr., who finished with a game-high of his own with 32 points in 28 minutes, while shooting 10-16 from the field and 4-5 from distance. Jackson Jr. proved why he’s an all-star, as he bullied the Raptors on a consistent basis, getting to the rim with ease as a ball handler who started his attack out beyond the arc.

Without Poeltl, there was no one big enough to take on Jackson Jr., even though Scottie Barnes tried his best, as he recorded two of his three blocks against the 6-foot-10 power forward.

Outside of that, there wasn’t much to celebrate in terms of the Raptors’ boxscore, as no starter finished better than a -18 plus/minus, while the bench was outscored (and outmatched) 55-46. On the highlights front, there was Gradey Dick’s two-hand reverse alley-oop slam, marking the second time in three games he’s pulled it off.

Next up: Raptors face NBA trade deadline

With the loss, it’s also the last-time we see this iteration of the Raptors, as the NBA’s trade deadline is set for Thursday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m.

Hours after Wednesday’s matchup, the Raptors reportedly traded for Brandon Ingram, in a deal that sends Bruce Brown Jr., Kelly Olynyk, one first-round pick and one second-rounder, to the New Orleans Pelicans, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The Raptors might not be done, with Davion Mitchell, Garrett Temple and the Raptors’ longest-serving player, Chris Boucher, all in their contract year.

Boucher is reportedly a key trade target for the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets, while Poeltl — who has 3 years left on his contract — is reportedly of interest to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Throughout the game, it was reported that NBA veteran Kyle Anderson would be making his way to the Raptors in the Jimmy Butler trade, but that fell through. While the NBA is no stranger to dramatic trades and headlines, it’s still a lot for players to wrap their heads around.

“It’s always a thing in this league. Now, going to my third year, times like this kind of feel a little weird,” said Agbaji, who was traded last year to the Raptors.

“But you know, as professionals, we’re expected to do our jobs and to just perform at a high level no matter what, whether it’s on this team or another, it’s just the business of things and that’s how it is.”

Whoever suits up for Toronto following the deadline, they’ll have their sights set on the best team in the Western Conference, as the Raptors get ready to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, Feb. 7. They’ll look to get bak in the win column, after losing back-to-back games following a stretch where they won eight of their last 10.