Charlotte Hornets (33-39) @ Toronto Raptors (51-22)
When: Sunday, March 24th, 6 P.M. ET
Where: Scotiabank Arena
Leading into tonight’s game:
- Injury report: For the Raptors, Kyle Lowry (sprained right ankle) is listed as questionable. For the Hornets, the injury report is to be announced.
- Home time: The Raptors host the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday in the second game of a three-game homestand that began with a 116-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. After Sunday’s game, the Raptors will conclude their homestead against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday before heading out on a two-game road trip. This is Toronto’s final three-game homestand of the regular season.
- Recent history: This will be the final regular-season meeting between the Raptors and Hornets this season. The Raptors won the previous meeting on the road, way back on October 22, defeating the Hornets 127-106 behind a 22-point effort from Kawhi Leonard and a 16-point, 14-assist double-double from Kyle Lowry in a game where the Raptors never trailed. Charlotte was led by Kemba Walker’s 26 points in the loss. While the Raptors enter Sunday’s game after falling to the Thunder on Friday, the Hornets are in Toronto on a back-to-back after a thrilling 124-117 comeback victory against the Celtics on Saturday where Charlotte outscored Boston 35-19 in the fourth quarter and were led by brilliant 36-point, 11-rebound, nine-assist performance from Kemba Walker.
Extra Assists
- Climbing the list: Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors in Friday’s loss, scoring a game-high 37 points. This was the 22nd time he has scored at least 30 points this season, ranking him fourth in franchise history, behind DeMar DeRozan (32 times), and Vince Carter (30 times in 200-01 and 25 times in 1999-00). Leonard scored 20 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter on Friday. He has also led the Raptors in scoring 44 times this season, the most by a player in his first season with the Raptors. For the season, Leonard is averaging 27.2 points per game, ranking him seventh in the league in scoring.
- All-around game: Pascal Siakam had another big night against the Thunder, following up a 33-point, 13-rebound, six-assist performance in Oklahoma City on Wednesday with 25 points on 9-for-14 field goals, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line on Friday. He added five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot in 37 minutes. Siakam’s improvement in his third season continues to skyrocket. He is averaging 16.8 points per game, and 19.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 14 games since the All-Star break.
- Take care: Though the Raptors shot 50 percent from the floor, 52 percent from the three-point line and 86 percent from the free-throw line, they also turned the ball over 22 times in Friday’s loss. Oklahoma City scored 20 points off Toronto’s miscues. As the regular season continues to wind down, and the temptation to look ahead and think about the postseason creeps in, the Raptors will need to tighten up turnovers and ensure they are taking care of the ball. On the season, Toronto is averaging 14.2 turnovers per game, 16th in the NBA.