The Raptors are grappling with injuries and top-drawer opposition. Tonight it’s the soaring Hawks.
The Toronto Raptors have hit an air pocket and are not in control of their destiny. Little nicks and aches have lingered, and the team is struggling. Three losses in their last four games aren’t a prelude to disaster, but it isn’t business as usual either.
The New Orleans Pelicans were just what the doctor ordered to stop a mini-slump. Unfortunately, the Atlanta Hawks are anything but. They have won nine of their last ten games and silenced their many critics who thought last year’s 60-22 record was a fluke.
The Hawks are sitting comfortably in the #3 seed with a record of 45-30, and would dearly love to get their talons on the Raptors’ #2 slot. Unlike our group, Atlanta’s starters are healthy. The loss of forward Tiago Splitter can be mitigated.
Forecasting this game is rendered difficult because of a report that Kyle Lowry’s elbow was drained of fluid once again. There’s ample proof of the toll this nagging injury is taking on our point guard’s shooting. He’s missed 24 of 30 attempts from beyond the arc in his last five games, and his free-throw shooting has been equally dismal.
The Raptors and Hawks both average 102.9 points per game , and Toronto allows 98.5 to Atlanta’s 98.9. In other words, the stats align perfectly to the teams’ records.
Terrence Ross is listed as “questionable” due to a lingering issue with his right thumb. While the temptation to tell him to tape it and get out there must be substantial, I suspect coach Dwane Casey will sit TRoss again. Soft tissue problems can be aggravated easily in the pounding of an NBA game, and there’s not much treatment other than rest.
To add to the fun, DeMarre Carroll’s knee injury may sideline him until the playoffs.
The ball still goes up at 7:35, so we’ll list our 3 key tactics as always. If the Raptors are going to sweep the season series by winning tonight, they will need to…:
- …deny Kyle Korver the ball. Norman Powell will have the unenviable task of fighting through multiple screens to stay within arm’s reach of the Hawks’ premier shooter of long balls. Atlanta doesn’t run a lot of plays for him, so Norman may have periods when he thinks he can relax – please don’t. These guys strike fast.
- …get a strong game from Cory Joseph. The Hawks’ backup point guard is Dennis Schroder, whom many think should replace incumbent Jeff Teague. Schroder is scary fast, like Russell Westbrook, so CoJo will need to back up at speed. Not easy…and we’ll need points from CoJo, too.
- …crash the boards. The Hawks collect the lowest number of offensive rebounds per game (8.3) in the NBA, so this shouldn’t be a difficult assignment on the defensive glass. The story is much different at the other end, where the Raptors are going to either make a lot of their first shots or be in trouble.
It’s worth noting that fire and fall back can be a winning tactic. The second-worst offensive rebounders are the Charlotte Hornets, a boiling-hot team which will be a tough out in the post-season.
A diminished Lowry makes victory most problematic. Let’s hope the Hawks’ balanced scoring won’t be working tonight. Toronto 104-Atlanta 102.