The Toronto Raptors (28-14) and Charlotte Hornets (21-21) will square off at the Spectrum Center on Jan. 20, Friday as the 2016-2017 NBA regular season continues.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 7:00 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
Toronto snapped a four-game winning streak as they fell to the upset-conscious Philadelphia 76ers in a low-scoring 94-89 game on the road at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night, as per USA Today.
DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points, grabbed three rebounds, and dished off six assists in a losing effort while Kyle Lowry, who fouled out late in the game, had 24 points, four boards, four assists, and five assists.
Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double of 10 points and 16 rebounds as the only other Raptor in double figures.
"We didn't play physical enough. They played with passion and energy. That's one thing they got us on," Lowry said after the game.
Despite the loss, the Raptors remained in the second place in the Eastern Conference standings, two-and-a-half games behind conference leaders and defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers. They are also two games ahead of third-running team Boston Celtics.
Meanwhile, the Hornets have finally put to an end a five-game losing slide after pulling off a 107-85 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers last Wednesday also at the Spectrum Center, Fox Sports reported.
Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 23 points, two rebounds, five assists, and three steals while Nicolas Batum backed him up with 17 points, seven boards, and seven assists. Cody Zeller had 10 rebounds with six points.
Three bench players scored in double figures, namely Roy Hibbert, Marco Belinelli, and Frank Kaminsky III with 16, 13, and 11 points respectively.
Toronto will be playing without DeMarre Carroll and Patrick Patterson in this match with separate injuries while Charlotte is without Jeremy Lamb, who is still sidelined by a foot injury.
Prediction
The Raptors are an excellent road team with a 13-8 record while the Hornets are also good at home with a 13-7 slate. Toronto is predicted to bounce back from their previous loss and pull off the win over Charlotte.