Raptors at Cavaliers
The Toronto Raptors pushed their season-best winning streak to eight straight with an easy win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday and are showing off the offensive balance the team hopes will help it avoid any prolonged slumps. The Raptors will try to make it nine in a row when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opener of a two-game trip on Thursday.
Toronto is averaging 122.4 points during its winning streak and breezed to a 130-114 win over the Hawks on Tuesday as Kyle Lowry collected 12 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, passing Jose Calderon (3,770) to become the franchise's all-time leader in assists. "It's awesome to be able to get it here tonight, in front of the home crowd, in front of (franchise legend and current Atlanta guard) Vince (Carter)," Lowry, who owns 3,772 assists in his Raptors career, told reporters. "The longevity ... and to pass a guy like Jose, one of the best point guards in franchise history and one of the greats in European basketball. To be able to pass him means a lot. We got a win, so that's even better." The Cavaliers dropped eight of their last nine contests and are losers of eight in a row at home after opening a four-game homestand with a 125-111 loss to New Orleans on Tuesday. Cleveland's season is about developing its young players and Collin Sexton, Kevin Porter Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. were the stars of Tuesday's loss.
TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: Sportsnet One, FS Ohio
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (33-14): Lowry had some success on Monday passing to the frontcourt duo of Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka, who each scored 24 points and combined for 20 rebounds in the victory. Ibaka, who took off as a starter while Marc Gasol was dealing with a hamstring injury and saw his production dip in a return to a reserve role, recorded a double-double in each of the last two games after going six straight contests without double-digit rebounds. Ibaka could find himself in a starting role again after Gasol left Tuesday's contest with left hamstring soreness and is considered day-to-day.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (13-35): Nance collected 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, 11 rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes on Tuesday to post his fourth double-double in the last five games. "Since I got in the league people have told me to be more aggressive, shoot my shot, and it's just taking me a little bit to figure out what exactly what that means and where exactly my shots may come from," Nance told reporters. "Now, I'm starting to really figure out a groove and I'm playing very confident right now." Nance, who is averaging 8.8 points and 7.2 boards on the season, is posting 15.2 points and 9.8 rebounds over the last five contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors SG Norman Powell is 5-of-20 from the floor over the last two games after shooting 50 percent or better in seven consecutive contests.
2. Sexton is averaging 22.7 points in 15 games this month.
3. Toronto took the first two meetings - both at home - by an average of 20 points.