Injury Report
| Player |
Team |
Date |
Status |
Info |
| Goran Dragic |
Toronto Raptors |
30 Nov 2021 |
Out (Personal) |
The Raptors announced that Dragic is dealing with a personal matter and there is no timetable for his return. |
| Jalen McDaniels |
Charlotte Hornets |
29 Jan 2022 |
Out (Ankle) |
McDaniels is dealing with a sprained ankle and there is no timetable for his return. |
How Can the Raptors Beat the Hornets?
Over the course of their 5-game winning streak, the Toronto Raptors have faced some of the Eastern Conference’s toughest competition. The Raptors’ defensive standards can’t drop, especially on the three-point line.
Through the Toronto Raptors’ last 5 wins, they’ve held their opponents to 33.5% shooting from three-point range while converting on 45.3% of their own. The Hornets are one of the league’s most prolific three-point shooting teams, ranking 6th in efficiency (36.3%) and 5th in threes per game (13.9).
Toronto was able to hold the Hornets to 10 of 31 shooting from range in their last meeting. If they can produce a similar defensive effort, it’ll be 6 in a row for Toronto.
Raptors Key Player: (F) Pascal Siakam
While he wasn’t named an NBA All-Star reserve by the league’s coaches, Pascal Siakam has been playing at an All-Star level since his return from injury. In his last game, a win over the Atlanta Hawks, Siakam was brilliant.
Siakam is coming off of a game where he posted 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists on 11 of 16 shooting from the field. He scored at every level, making all 3 of his three-point field goal attempts while going 8 of 9 from the free-throw line.
The Hornets couldn’t contain Siakam in their last meeting with the Raptors. If Siakam can find his shot rhythm early, the Hornets won’t be able to keep up with the opportunities he creates for others.
How Can the Hornets Beat the Raptors?
The Charlotte Hornets aren’t who you’d think of when you’re contemplating the NBA’s “tough” teams. More oriented toward finesse, the Hornets will need to fight in the paint to beat the Raptors.
In their last meeting with Toronto, a 113-125 loss, Charlotte were dominated on the glass. Despite Toronto being relatively undersized, they still outrebounded the Hornets 42 to 37.
For the Hornets to take a win from the Raptors, rebounding must become a team effort. If they fail to come together and win the battle on the boards, their losing streak could extend to 5 in a row.
Hornets Key Player: (G) LaMelo Ball
The Charlotte Hornets would really like to find a win in this game, but it’ll be up to LaMelo Ball to produce a performance that can lead his Hornets to victory. Coming off of a blow out loss, Ball must bounce back from what was a dreadful outing.
In his last game, Ball posted 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in just 21 minutes of play. He was unable to put his influence on the game, which left the Hornets without an offence to fall back on.
The Toronto Raptors are excellent at keeping pace with even the best offensive teams. If Charlotte want to steal a win, Ball needs to be efficient with his opportunities and create excellent ones for others.
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