Raptors at Hawks
THE STORY: The Atlanta Hawks are on a steady climb in the Eastern Conference, winning five of their last six games despite an injury to all-star center Al Horford. The Hawks' offense has blown up in that stretch, averaging more than 100 points per game over those six outings. The Toronto Raptors haven’t had the same luck with their issues in the frontcourt. Toronto is playing without sharp-shooting forward Andrea Bargnani, who has missed the last two games with a left calf strain. Unlike Atlanta, the Raptors have been lost without their big man, losing both games and six of their last seven. The Hawks have won four straight meetings with the Raptors and eight of their last 10 encounters entering Monday's matinee meeting.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, SportSouth, Rogers Sportsnet
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (4-9): Toronto desperately needs someone to step up while Bargnani, the team’s leading scorer, is out. While head coach Dwane Casey preaches defense and hopes it can help the Raptors keep things close, Toronto still needs someone to sink the big shots. DeMar DeRozan seems to have hit the ceiling, topping out at around 20 points per game, and no other player has shown the ability to be consistent on the scoresheet.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (9-4): Without Horford sharing the scoring load, Joe Johnson has stepped up big for Atlanta. He’s scored a total of 48 points in the last two games, including a 25-point performance in the win over Minnesota Saturday, bringing the Hawks back from 18 points down. Johnson is notorious for lighting up the Raptors, dropping 37 points on Toronto the last time the teams met.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Atlanta leads the all-time series 34-26.
2. The Hawks have an average margin of victory of 10 points in their four-game winning streak against the Raptors.
3. Toronto could be even thinner in the frontcourt if James Johnson misses Monday with an ankle injury. He left late in Saturday’s game after scoring 12 points off the bench.