Toronto Raptors eager to extend one streak, snap another with LA Lakers in town
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Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram fouls Portland Trail Blazers forward Sidy Cissoko in the second half at Scotiabank Arena.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors will aim for their ninth straight home victory on Thursday night (Friday morning, Singapore time) while also trying to snap their run of five consecutive losses to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Raptors last defeated the Lakers when they earned a 126-113 home verdict on Dec 7, 2022.
Toronto are on a five-game homestand that opened Tuesday with a 121-118 victory over the depleted Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers had their seven-game winning streak stopped in a sloppy 125-108 home loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday.
Before defeating Portland, the Raptors lost at the New York Knicks on Sunday and at Charlotte in overtime on Saturday, ending a nine-game winning streak. Because they squandered a 17-point lead against the Hornets, the game against Portland started to look like a rerun.
But on Tuesday, led by 28 points from Scottie Barnes, they barely held on.
“This was a big-time win for us, we really needed it,” Barnes said. “We dropped those two back-to-back. (Good to) get back in the win column and finish out the game.”
Looking ahead to the Lakers game, an important element for the Raptors was their 43-39 advantage in live-ball rebounds against Portland, which included a 10-9 edge on the offensive boards.
“That was a big battle for us, we put a lot of work into it over the course of the game,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said.
The Lakers open a stretch of three road games in four nights when they play Toronto.
“Well, the road trip should always refocus you, no matter how you’re playing,” said LeBron James. “So, I don’t think it took for us to have this game (the loss to the Suns) to refocus us.”
In another game, the Golden State Warriors will be short-handed for their road trip to the Philadelphia 76ers, but it remains to be determined exactly how undermanned they will be.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr acknowledged on Tuesday that the team will not have Stephen Curry (left quad contusion and muscle strain) for the entirety of their three-game road swing.
“He will not make the trip. He’s going to stay home,” Kerr said.
“It was a long shot for him to play in the back-to-back (Saturday and Sunday), and we don’t play again till (next) Friday. So it just makes perfect sense for him to stay home... get the rehab done here, and hopefully be ready for Minnesota next Friday.”
Curry’s absence typically means a heavier offensive load for Jimmy Butler, but that could be an issue on Thursday, as well.
Butler exited Tuesday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at halftime due to a sore left knee. He is listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest.
Meanwhile in NBA action on Wednesday, Jamal Murray poured in 52 points to propel Denver to a 135-120 victory over the Indiana Pacers as the Nuggets continued to thrive on the road.
Denver, losers of their last four home games, have now won eight in a row on the road.
Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks shook off the early exit of two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, erasing an early 18-point deficit to beat the Detroit Pistons 113-109.
Antetokounmpo went down without contact in the third minute. He was able to walk off the court but was ruled out of the game with what the team initially called a right calf strain. REUTERS, AFP
