THE Toronto Raptors head south to finish the home-and-home series with the Orlando Magic.
Tonight they will try to prevent a series sweep by Orlando who won the first two games, one on Friday and the other in November.
Having lost 8 of their last 9 is discouraging, and the roster is still depleted, continuing to present challenges, but the guys who aren’t banged up are still showing up every night to try to get the Raps back into the win column.
In their last meeting, Toronto was outscored 52-42 in the paint. Likely the product of a size disadvantage, a problem that isn’t easy to fix with the lingering injury bug. Jontay Porter struggled a bit offensively last game, but continues to play bigger than he is as a five man.
Playing backup center for Olynyk is a role he plays quite effectively, and with some tape and a few days since the last game, hopefully they can find some solutions to paint the score. Being able to keep bigger guards on the court like Gradey Dick would also be an advantage, but he was -32 during his time on the court.
Darko didn’t seem too worried, as longer minutes for him would eventually result in a tough match for him. Hopefully he can bounce back, so he’s not as much of a hindrance defensively, but also can score a few more points.
The Raptors were successful against Orlando in fast break points, outscoring them 37-13 in that category.
Orlando’s defense is tough, ranking third in the league, so continuing to take advantage of these situations will likely continue to be a source of scoring for them.
Of course, this will probably also be what Orlando is trying to prevent, since that was their biggest downfall last time around. The other highlight of their last matchup was the play of Gary Trent Jr., who scored 31 points, including 7-11 from long range. With Gary excluded, the rest of the team shot 7-34 from long range, so Toronto will need a little more from the other guys, especially given their disadvantage in the paint.
If Gary can put in another performance like that, along with some added support from the rest of the team, it’s not impossible to finish this match with a different result.
How to watch:
Sportsnet, 6 p.m. ET
Probable compositions:
Toronto: Gary Trent Jr., Immanuel Quickley, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, Kelly Olynyk
Orlando: Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr., Franz Wagner, Gary Harris
Injuries:
Toronto: Scottie Barnes (Out; Fractured Left Hand), RJ Barrett (Out; Personal Reasons), Chris Boucher (Out; Torn Right MCL), DJ Carton (Out; Sprained Right Ankle), Mouhamadou Gueye (Out ; G-league two-way), Jakob Poeltl (Out; Torn ligament in left hand)
Orlando: None listed.
