The Toronto Raptors continue their travels to Arizona, where they will go toe-to-toe tonight with the Phoenix Suns. These teams meet twice a year, with the first contest going in Toronto’s favour.
So far on this road-trip, the Raptors are 1-1. They beat Chicago effortlessly and followed that up with a close but frustrating loss to Denver. Now, they face the Phoenix Suns who are sitting 7th in the West, four games outside of guaranteed playoff contention. Toronto maintains only a one-game advantage
on the Hawks who have won nine of their last ten games.
Phoenix is currently on a five-game losing streak, with the first in that slide being handed to them by Toronto last Friday. The next three were all top-10 teams, making them understandable, but then last night they dropped one to the Bucks who are 29-41 this season. It’s safe to say that the Suns will be looking to end this slump.
Devin Booker and Jalen Green have been Phoenix’s biggest offensive players. Booker is averaging almost 26-4-6 and Green has almost 18-4-3. The tandem each had 30 points the last time they took on Toronto, so it would be unsurprising if they are called on again to have big scoring nights, especially while they remained shorthanded. Dillon Brooks continues to recover from hand surgery, Mark Williams with a stress reaction in his foot, and Grayson Allen with a knee injury.
The depleted lineup should play in the Raptors’ favour, as well as their rest advantage. Pace and transition play, both big aspects of Toronto’s game can be factors tonight. With only CMB wavering on availability, their full-strength roster and fresh bodies should be able to outpace the Suns.
To improve on their last contest with the Suns, they should look to slow Booker and Green and force others to score.
Their ability to close will be more important than anything else. Against Denver, like many games this season, they could get buckets to stay within striking distance in the last couple minutes, but a few poor decisions or selfish plays cost them the game. No amount of frustration with the whistle or missed calls should suggest driving into three defenders in the paint and forcing a shot is a good idea, or that it would yield points. And yet, all too often plays like that become the undoing of Toronto in the final seconds of games.
With only a dozen games left after this one, the Raptors need to decide how they’re going to handle close games before the postseason starts. What better time to start than now?
Probable Starters
Toronto: Jakob Poeltl, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley
Phoenix: Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Collin Gillespie, Oso Ighodaro, Royce O’Neale
Injury Report
Toronto: Chucky Hepburn (Out: G-League), A.J. Lawson (Out: G-League), Alijah Martin (Out: G-League), Collin Murray-Boyles (Questionable: Thumb sprain)
Phoenix: Grayson Allen (Out: Knee), Dillon Brooks (Out: Surgery recovery), Mark Williams (Out: Foot)
Where to Watch
Tune into Sportsnet at 9pm ET!
