Raptors at Nets
The Toronto Raptors will try to take their franchise-best winning streak to 16 straight when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday in their final game before the All-Star break. The Nets gave the Raptors their toughest test thus far during the streak in a 119-118 decision at Toronto on Saturday and have won five of seven.
Toronto showed off the range of its offensive weapons in Monday's 137-126 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves with four players scoring 20 or more points and every starter posting at least 16 as the team shot 57.3 percent from the floor with a small lineup that featured small forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson at center. "I'm comfortable doing whatever it takes, with a smile on my face, enjoying the game," Hollis-Jefferson told reporters. "If coach needs me to set screens so Kyle (Lowry) and Freddy (VanVleet) can shoot, that's what it is at the end of the day. It feels good to be out there and competing and having fun." The Nets followed their one-point loss at Toronto with a one-point win at Indiana on Monday, with Spencer Dinwiddie capping a 21-point, 11-assist performance with a go-ahead jumper in the final seconds to clinch the 106-105 triumph. "It just boosts your confidence, and it boosts your chemistry when you get a win and guys make big plays," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters after watching his team win its first road game against an opponent with a winning record. "We obviously have a lot more games to go on the road against good teams, so hopefully this is the beginning of getting some more."
TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: TSNN, YES
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (40-14): Toronto was forced to go small with centers Marc Gasol (hamstring) and Serge Ibaka (illness) sitting out on Monday and forward OG Anunoby made the most of the situation, scoring a career-high 25 points and matching a career-best with 12 rebounds. "He was good defensively," Raptors coach Nick Nurse told reporters of Anunoby. "We put him all over the place. We put him on (center Karl-Anthony) Towns a lot and he was doing a good job. He switched out on to (point guard D'Angelo) Russell because of that. He was just making some really good reads." Anunoby managed five points on 2-of-4 shooting in 29 minutes against Brooklyn on Saturday while VanVleet led the way with 29 points.
ABOUT THE NETS (24-28): Brooklyn guard Caris LeVert scored a career-high 37 points on 12-of-18 shooting at Toronto on Saturday but joined most of his teammates in struggling from the floor on Monday. LeVert went 4-of-13 from the floor en route to 11 points and the Nets shot 40.2 percent against the Pacers but took advantage in the middle, where centers Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan combined for 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting and 27 rebounds. Jordan recorded a double-double in each of the last two contests to bring his season total to nine.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lowry (whiplash) sat out Saturday's win but returned with 27 points and 11 assists in 40 minutes on Tuesday.
2. Nets PG Kyrie Irving (knee) missed the last four games and is not expected back until after the All-Star break.
3. Toronto is riding a six-game winning streak in the series and earned a 121-102 victory in its last trip to Brooklyn on Jan. 4.