Suns at Raptors
The Toronto Raptors watched their franchise-record winning streak end in a lethargic performance before the All-Star break. The Raptors will try to find the energy after a week off when they begin the stretch run by hosting the Phoenix Suns on Friday.
Toronto won 15 games in a row before dropping a 101-91 decision at Brooklyn and was not happy about the way it went into the break. "We were walking zombies," Raptors All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry told reporters after that loss. "We didn't play well tonight, simple as that. We missed shots. We weren't aggressive. And give them credit. They played their butts off, and they beat us. It's only one game." Toronto is trying to defend its NBA title while the Suns are trying to end a nine-year postseason drought but enter the final third of the season 6 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference. Phoenix won its final game before the break 112-106 over Golden State and is searching for its first back-to-back wins in over a month as it kicks off a three-game road trip.
TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: FS Arizona, TSN
ABOUT THE SUNS (22-33): Phoenix did not have a player on the initial All-Star roster but guard Devin Booker was added as an injury replacement late last week and finished second in the 3-point contest before scoring six points in 19 minutes off the bench for Team LeBron on Sunday. Booker, who is 10th in the NBA in scoring at an average of 26.4 points, went 3-of-8 from the floor in the All-Star Game to continue a slump that saw him shoot 30.6 percent in his final three games before the break. Also going into the break cold was small forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who is shooting 36.4 percent over his last three games, including 6-of-23 from beyond the arc.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (40-15): Toronto had a pair of players on Team Giannis on Sunday with forward Pascal Siakam starting and scoring 15 points in 18 minutes and Kyle Lowry coming off the bench with 13 points and eight assists in 28 minutes. "This weekend is about having fun," Lowry told reporters. "This weekend is about being around all these great guys and being around these great pros, hanging out with Pascal. It's about our coaching staff, right? It's about that." The Raptors enter the final 27 games of the regular season 6 1/2 games behind the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks and come out of the break with four straight at home, including a showdown against the Bucks on Tuesday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Suns C Deandre Ayton (ankle) missed the last two games but is expected to return on Friday.
2. Raptors C Serge Ibaka shot 50 percent or better form the floor in each of his last 11 games and knocked down a season-high five 3-pointers at Brooklyn last week.
3. Toronto owns a four-game winning streak in the series.