Game #55: Toronto Raptors 123 - Charlotte Hornets 103

[Zainab]

at

Starting Lineup:

RAPTORS:

PG: Kyle Lowry
SG: DeMar DeRozan
SF: OG Anunoby
PF: Serge Ibaka
C: Jonas Valanciunas


HORNETS

PG: Kemba Walker
SG: Nicolas Batum
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
PF: Marvin Williams
C: Dwight Howard

Last Meeting
December 20, 2017
RAPTORS 129 HORNETS 111
The Raptors had a season high 35 assists. They were also the most they’ve recorded since early in the 2011-12 season. Nine of 11 players to play had assists. It was a 71.4-percent assists rate. And this (127.3 O-Rating) came against the league’s No. 11 defense. The Raptors starters were once again strong here, even through some foul trouble that caused lineup staggering. In the first, they hit eight straight field goals, had a pull-away run in the second after Anunoby helped stabilize the bench, then shook off an 0-of-5 start to the third to lock in defensively and more or less end this. They finished a plus-15 here and have a plus-22.5 net rating on the year. The bench (and DeRozan-and-bench) had a tough stretch in the second quarter, allowing a 14-2 run and going 4:10 without scoring to end the first. They bounced back in the third, needed help to start the fourth, then settled in to close out the blow out. OG Anunoby had six 3-pointers in the game, dude is a steal. Serge Ibaka had a season-high 24 points, Anunoby’s 20 were the most he’s ever scored in an NBA game and DeMar DeRozan’s 28-point night was basically an afterthought. Instead, the focus was on the painfully quiet Anunoby and the shooting skill few thought he had.

Keys To The Game:

1) Lowry has to be the better point guard. Kemba can slash to the rim, he can shoot threes, and he’s great at just generally being a pest. Last year he torched the Raps for 28.8 PPG in their four meetings. With Lowry struggling with his shot lately, it’s crucial that the good Lowry shows up for this one. At the very least he needs to play Kemba to a draw.
2) Contain the bigs. Howard is always a threat on the glass and Valanciunas will need to play big minutes to match up with him tonight.
3) The bench mob has to keep up the good job, so the starters can remain fresh and play low minutes.
4) Score more points than the opposing team!!

Let's Go Raptors!!!

[Jclaw]

Keep it goin' Z

[007]

Three games left until the all-star break, let's close this stretch well

[KeonClark]

Three games left until the all-star break, let's close this stretch well

Aka 2 games until Leo and Matt talk about "last game before the all star" being a trap game about 25 times (as if raps are the only team getting an all star break)

[Cody73]

Sorry Zainab, had to edit the date. Today's the 9th..... Sunday's the 11th.

[white men can't jump]

Aka 2 games until Leo and Matt talk about "last game before the all star" being a trap game about 25 times (as if raps are the only team getting an all star break)

Feels like a trap game this year. 2nd night of a back to back, and have to travel. Playing a garbage team like Chicago. Our stars have already looked like they've checked out for the all-star break the last couple of weeks.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[KeonClark]

https://www.reddit.com/r/torontorapt...reddit-android

The old dog and his pups

[planetmars]

Play three games in four nights starting with this one. Need to take care of business before the B2B. We have the talent to go 3-0 but I suspect one let down game. Hope it's not this one.

Charlotte has a good team on paper but the games aren't played there. I feel another bench win on Sunday.

[KeonClark]

I just wanna get thru the all star game and get to the '
"Sprint to the finish" - the fun stuff

[Maury]

I just wanna get thru the all star game and get to the '
"Sprint to the finish" - the fun stuff

After watching last night’s game I just want to get to the playoffs. We’ve pretty much proven ourselves and we need to get to the playoffs healthy and fresh which is what our guys are clearly trying to do. Maintain good habits while coasting and I won’t complain. The rest of this season is going to be boring.

[KeonClark]

After watching last night’s game I just want to get to the playoffs. We’ve pretty much proven ourselves and we need to get to the playoffs healthy and fresh which is what our guys are clearly trying to do. Maintain good habits while coasting and I won’t complain. The rest of this season is going to be boring.

Couldn't agree more. I paraphrased basically the same thing last night to my girlfriend

Only thing left to follow is catching Boston for first seed

[rocwell]

Casey's post-game lil speech(early in the video) is 100

[KeonClark]

Casey's post-game lil speech(early in the video) is 100

I refuse to believe ultimate dad says the f word

"This is the best job in the fudgin world"

[Demographic Shift]

Have to think the mood in Charlotte has to be flat....
Walker was apparently on the block and they can spin it a number of ways to salve his feelings but they didn’t deny it...
Howard is still a world class dork.... and no one likes playing with an idiot even if he’s good..which Howard is not.
Marvin the Martian Williams just got old this year
Malik Monk can’t get off the bench this year on merit
Nick Batum is still struggling with the residue of an early season injury
Frank the Tank is inconsistent and struggles when his shot isn’t falling which happens more than not
Jeremy Lamb will put up some points ..just not enough support around him....
They have a Zeller...

Raps are playing well in an every other day game rhythm which continues on Saturday in Charlotte. They have been in the same time zone for a month it seems and they have been just crushing teams lately... They pummelled the Knicks and the starters kind of just clocked in and out of that one.

Chalk up another professional win for the Dino’s......Raps W.

[KeonClark]

Have to think the mood in Charlotte has to be flat....
Walker was apparently on the block and they can spin it a number of ways to salve his feelings but they didn’t deny it...
Howard is still a world class dork.... and no one likes playing with an idiot even if he’s good..which Howard is not.
Marvin the Martian Williams just got old this year
Malik Monk can’t get off the bench this year on merit
Nick Batum is still struggling with the residue of an early season injury
Frank the Tank is inconsistent and struggles when his shot isn’t falling which happens more than not
Jeremy Lamb will put up some points ..just not enough support around him....
They have a Zeller...

Raps are playing well in an every other day game rhythm which continues on Saturday in Charlotte. They have been in the same time zone for a month it seems and they have been just crushing teams lately... They pummelled the Knicks and the starters kind of just clocked in and out of that one.

Chalk up another professional win for the Dino’s......Raps W.