Nets at Raptors
The Toronto Raptors look to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 14 games when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. The last two victories were in a home-and home against the Indiana Pacers, including Friday's 115-106 road victory.
Point guard Kyle Lowry departed Friday's win with an injury that leaves him questionable at best for Saturday's game, while veteran power forward Serge Ibaka stood out with 22 points and 10 rebounds. "We just try to be us," Ibaka said of the success in a postgame television interview. "We know there are a lot of tough teams out there. But we just focus on us and we try to do our job." Brooklyn has won five of its last seven games but will be without star point guard Kyrie Irving (knee) for the third straight game on Saturday. "We obviously miss him on the floor," center DeAndre Jordan told reporters. "He's our floor general. He's in practice and film sessions and obviously trying to hurry up and get back to 100 percent healthy where we need him but he's still here and talking to guys and pointing out small different details that we need to do to get better as a team to get close to a full 48 minutes as possible."
TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: YES, TSN1/4
ABOUT THE NETS (21-26): Brooklyn is well aware it will take a supreme effort against the hot Raptors despite its own solid play of late. "A tough matchup," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters. "Great challenge. I feel like we're playing better, they're on a back-to-back, that gives us a little more confidence. But I've said it since the beginning of the year, I think they're a championship-contending team. They're really good." The Nets won the two games without Irving by an average of 31.5 points - including Wednesday's 129-88 rout of the Golden State Warriors - with shooting guard Caris LeVert shining by averaging 26 points and 7.5 assists.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (37-14): Lowry collided into the backside of Ibaka late in the third quarter and jammed his neck and shoulder with the team saying he was suffering from whiplash and that postgame X-rays were negative. Lowry recorded 16 points and 11 assists before exiting and became the third-leading scorer in franchise history with 9,428 points, passing franchise legend Vince Carter (9,420). Forward Pascal Siakam departed for a brief time after getting poked in the eye and ended up with 15 points in 35 minutes.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Raptors have won five straight meetings and 17 of the past 18.
2. Toronto G Fred VanVleet scored 20 points on Friday and has made multiple 3-pointers in nine straight games.
3. Brooklyn SF Joe Harris is 10-of-20 from 3-point range over the past three games while averaging 18.3 points.