Scariolo debuts as NBA head coach

Scariolo gives instructions to Baynes during the Toronto-Houston game.Chris O'Meara / AP

Sergio Scariolo coached an NBA game for the first time as head coach.

The 59-year-old Italian coach and Spain coach replaced Nick Nurse as head of the Raptors' technical direction.

The American coach, five of his assistants in the Canadian team and also the Cameroonian player Paskal Siakam had to follow NBA security protocols due to the pandemic and could not be present at the game against the Houston Rockets.

The Raptors won 122-111, with 30 points from Powell, 25 from VanVleet and a triple-double from Lowry, with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Rockets fell despite John Wall's 21 points and 12 assists and Oladipo's 27 points.

Scariolo has reconciled the position of Spanish coach with that of assistant coach of the Raptors since 2018. Last week he directed the qualifying games for the 2022 Eurobasket against Israel and Poland.

The last one was played in the Polish town of Giliwice and Scariolo celebrated his 150th match with the national team with a victory over Poland 88-89.

The coach had just finished the mandatory quarantine period when he returned from Poland to Tampa, Florida.

There the Raptors play their games this season due to the impossibility of complying with anti-convid regulations every time they cross the border with Canada to compete with the United States teams, and vice versa.

. @ sergioscariolo's career coaches' challenge record: 1-0 pic.twitter.com/hTfYrATYU8

- Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 27, 2021

The Raptors announced that Nurse and five other assistants could not be present at the Amalie Arena in Tampa a few hours before the start of the game.

They did not say when Nurse and his assistants will be able to return to their normal activities with the team and explained that they would communicate by phone with the Raptors bench during the game against the Rockets.

“Scariolo has been here for several years and brings his experience not only because of what he has done in the NBA, but also as head coach of several major European teams and as Spain coach.

It hasn't been difficult to appoint him, ”said Bobby Webster,

the Raptors

general manager

.

The next games of the Canadian team are played, also in Tampa, on Sunday against Chicago and Tuesday against Detroit.

Locker room party

“The players have been tremendously respectful.

At the end they celebrated, they gave me the match ball and a mini party in the locker room.

They have been very kind, very affectionate, ”Scariolo told the Efe agency.

"But during and before and after the game they have been extremely professional, which is how it has to be because we had to win a difficult game."

Brescia's coach defined his NBA experience.

“Being in the best basketball in the world is an incredible experience.

I have learned a lot about basketball, about management, about things that are done well here and that could be done better in Europe ”.

And he described the possibility of serving as head coach.

“I have learned that if you adapt, if you leave your ego in a corner, you can perfectly pass, loyally, effectively, professionally, from the role of assistant to head coach with ease.

In Europe it is much more difficult to do this, but here it happens much more often ”.

The Raptors had already lost assistant coach Chris Finch's contest earlier this week as he was hired as the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Toronto is one of four teams, along with the Clippers, Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, that have yet to postpone a game this season.