For the first time in more than a month and a half, the Toronto Raptors have lost two straight games.
Phrased like that, it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but their timing couldn’t be worse. After Tuesday night’s 118-103 overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Raptors now hold just a half-game lead over the Chicago Bulls for third in the Eastern Conference and their cushion over the Brooklyn Nets in the Atlantic has narrowed to two-and-a-half games. As the season winds down, each game becomes more important for Toronto, with any sustained losing streak carrying serious playoff implications.
The Raptors have a tough matchup heading their way for Wednesday night’s tilt against the New Orleans Pelicans. It is a game they need to win if they want to salvage any sort of momentum before returning home to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.
Following Tuesday’s loss, the immediate concern for Toronto is the status of their starting frontcourt. Both Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson suffered injuries against the Hawks and it is uncertain whether either will be in the lineup Wednesday night. Valanciunas left the game in the third quarter with a back sprain and Johnson rolled his ankle late in the fourth (Johnson did return to finish the game). Obviously, any significant injury to a frontcourt that is already down a key piece in Patrick Patterson would be a major blow to the Raptors hope of securing home court in the playoffs.
But that’s not Toronto’s only concern. Against the Hawks, the Raptors’ D was essentially non-existent the second straight game, surrendering 118 points to the league’s 14th-best offence. Things won’t get any easier Wednesday as the Pelicans boast the league’s 12th-best attack and feature a number of capable scorers. Plus, star power forward Anthony Davis is the exact type of player the Raptors have struggled to contain this season and is coming off of a career-night in which he lit up the Celtics for 40 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks.
Here are a few more things to look for in Wednesday night’s matchup:
Stepping Up
When the Pelicans acquired Tyreke Evans in a sign-and-trade with the Kings last summer, his struggles in Sacramento and the amount of money the Pelicans committed to him ($44 million over four years) both provided cause for concern. And for the better part of the season, Evans proved that those concerns were justified, averaging just 13.4 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game and shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and an atrocious 21.3 percent from three—easily the worst numbers of his five-year NBA career.
Fortunately for New Orleans, things have turned around since Monty Williams inserted Evans back into the starting lineup. Over his last seven games, Evans has averaged 22.9 points, 6.1 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor. This impressive 180 gives the Pelicans a much-needed second option behind Davis as they continue to play without Jrue Holiday. Evans’ ability to get to the basket and create for others will really put pressure on the Raptors’ defence, specifically Terrence Ross who is likely to draw the assignment.
Missing in Action
Patrick Patterson has been a key cog in the Raptors’ rotation since he was acquired from Sacramento in early December. He is averaging 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and shooting nearly 50 percent in 39 games with the Raptors, but those numbers don’t capture exactly what Patterson has meant to the team. He has given them a versatile, two-way big the likes of which the Raptors haven’t had in quite some time—especially as an option off the bench.
Patterson is also leaps and bounds better than the players behind him in the rotation, and Tyler Hansbrough, Steve Novak and Chuck Hayes have all struggled to fill in during Patterson’s six-game absence. In the five games prior to Tuesday’s contest, the Raptors’ bench averaged just 22 points a night, down from their usual 26.2. They finally broke that mold, scoring 26 points in overtime against Atlanta, but are still sorely missing Patterson.
To make matters worse, it was Patterson who stepped up in Toronto’s last meeting with the Pelicans, scoring a season-high 22 points.
Success in the West
Heading into Wednesday’s game, Raptors are 14-13 against teams in the Western Conference. They are one of only four teams in the East with a record of .500 or better against the West.