@
Probable Starters:
Last Time we Met:
JANUARY 31, 2014 TORONTO 100. DENVER 90
DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points, Terrence Ross had 18 and Toronto, after opening a 25-point lead, settled for a 100-90 victory over the Nuggets on Friday … Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry added 13 points apiece for the Raptors, who snapped a nine-game losing streak in the Mile High City dating to 2003 … J.J. Hickson and Evan Fournier led the Nuggets with 18 points apiece … Randy Foye, normally a shooting guard switched to the point in the absence of Ty Lawson and Nate Robinson, had 10 points and a career-high 16 assists … But he also committed eight of the Nuggets' 26 turnovers, which led to 29 points for Toronto …Leading by seven at halftime, the Raptors put together an 11-2 run late in the third quarter to go up 84-68 with 2:46 left in the period … DeRozan ignited the surge by driving through traffic and putting in a reverse layup off the glass and helped keep it going by knocking down a pair of jumpers… By the start of the fourth quarter, the Raptors led by 16 points and 50 seconds later, Valanciunas dunked to stretch Toronto's advantage to 90-70.
Game Notes:
Keys to the Game:
+ Lock Lawson Down.
+ Similar Front Courts .. we gotta win the Battle down low.
+ Rush the 3-point Line
+ Nuggets on Back-to-Back. Run em out of the building!
Key Match-Ups
vs.
Battle of the Little Men!
Lets Go Raptors!!
Probable Starters:
Nuggets | Raptors |
PG Ty Lawson | PG Kyle Lowry |
SG Arron Afflalo | SG Greivis Vasquez |
SF Wilson Chandler | SF Terrence Ross |
PF Kenneth Faried | PF Amir Johnson |
C Timofey Mozgov | C Jonas Valanciunas |
JANUARY 31, 2014 TORONTO 100. DENVER 90
DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points, Terrence Ross had 18 and Toronto, after opening a 25-point lead, settled for a 100-90 victory over the Nuggets on Friday … Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry added 13 points apiece for the Raptors, who snapped a nine-game losing streak in the Mile High City dating to 2003 … J.J. Hickson and Evan Fournier led the Nuggets with 18 points apiece … Randy Foye, normally a shooting guard switched to the point in the absence of Ty Lawson and Nate Robinson, had 10 points and a career-high 16 assists … But he also committed eight of the Nuggets' 26 turnovers, which led to 29 points for Toronto …Leading by seven at halftime, the Raptors put together an 11-2 run late in the third quarter to go up 84-68 with 2:46 left in the period … DeRozan ignited the surge by driving through traffic and putting in a reverse layup off the glass and helped keep it going by knocking down a pair of jumpers… By the start of the fourth quarter, the Raptors led by 16 points and 50 seconds later, Valanciunas dunked to stretch Toronto's advantage to 90-70.
Game Notes:
- The Toronto Raptors host the Denver Nuggets on Monday night at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors have dropped three of their last five games (Nov. 28 - Dec. 5). Toronto and Denver have split the season-series each of the last three seasons (2011-14). Centre Jonas Valanciunas averaged 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games against the Nuggets last season. The Raptors are 6-2 against the West this season and are one of four Eastern Conference teams with a .500 record against the West (Washington, Milwaukee, Atlanta). Toronto plays the second game of a back-to-ack set Tuesday at Cleveland. Toronto will play the Cavaliers for the third time in the last 18 days.
- The Raptors reached the unofficial first quarter mark of the 2014-15 season with a franchise-best 15-5 record. The last time Toronto had a winning record through the first 20 games of a season was 2003-04 when they started 12-8.
- Guard Kyle Lowry has scored 20+ points in each of the last five games (Nov. 28 - Dec. 5) - tied for the second longest streak of his career. Lowry reached 20 points in eight straight games Mar. 14-26, 2014. Lowry is tied with Monta Ellis for the league lead in scoring over the last five games averaging 28.4 points.
- Toronto’s reserves rank ninth in the NBA in scoring averaging 37.1 points this season. At least one player has come off the bench to contribute 10 or more points every game this season. Guard Lou Williams scored a career high 36 points Nov. 22 at Cleveland and leads the team with 14 double-digit scoring games off the bench. Williams was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Nov. 17-23 and currently leads all East reserves in scoring (13.7) with a minimum five games played.
- Toronto is 13-0 this season when leading after three quarters. Dating back to the start of last season, the Raptors are now 48-2 when ahead entering the fourth, including a perfect 27-0 at Air Canada Centre. Toronto has won 38 straight games when leading after three quarters. The Raptors rank second in the NBA with a +62 (543-to-481) scoring differential in the final quarter this season.
- Forward Amir Johnson scored a season and game-high 27 points Dec. 5 vs. Cleveland. Johnson has scored 10+ points in four of the last six games (Nov. 26 - Dec. 5) - averaging 14.0 points during this stretch.
- Toronto has allowed 100+ points in seven consecutive games (Nov. 24 - Dec. 5) - the longest streak during head coach Dwane Casey’s three-plus seasons (2011-present) with the Raptors. Since the start of last season, Toronto is 44-9 (.830) when opponents score below 100 points, including a perfect 8-0 this season.
- Toronto Raptors President and General Manager Masai Ujiri spent three seasons as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Nuggets before returning to Toronto on May 31, 2013. He was named the 2012-13 NBA Executive of the Year after leading Denver to a team-record 57 wins and a league-best 38-8 record at home. In three seasons at Denver his teams compiled a 145-85 (.630) record with a 91-24 (.791) record at Pepsi Center.
- DENVER CONNECTIONS: Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson were teammates for three seasons at North Carolina (2006-09) ... Both were part of UNC's 2009 National Championship winning team ... Kyle Lowry and Randy Foye were teammates together at Villanova (2004-06) … Raptors assistant coach Jesse Mermuys was in Denver for four seasons (2008-12), serving as video coordinator and advance scout ... Tim Leiweke (President & CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) was the President of the Denver Nuggets from 1991-95 ... Jeff Weltman (Executive Vice-President, Basketball Operations) was Assistant General Manager in Denver (2001-06).
Keys to the Game:
+ Lock Lawson Down.
+ Similar Front Courts .. we gotta win the Battle down low.
+ Rush the 3-point Line
+ Nuggets on Back-to-Back. Run em out of the building!
Key Match-Ups
vs.
Battle of the Little Men!
Lets Go Raptors!!
Comment