Trail Blazers at Raptors
THE STORY: As bad as the Toronto Raptors were before losing Andrea Bargnani, they've been downright awful without their 7-footer in the lineup. Bargnani will likely miss his fifth straight contest Friday as the Raptors look to halt a six-game skid against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers. Toronto fell seven games below .500 with a 96-73 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Raptors managed to hang with the slumping Celtics for 24 minutes before collapsing in the second half, outscored 52-35 as Boston ended its own five-game winless drought. Toronto shot only 37.7 percent and sits 29th in the NBA at 85.1 points per game, a tenth of a point ahead of last-place Detroit. That doesn't bode well against a Portland team sitting in the top 10 in scoring at more than 97 points per game. The Blazers are going through their own struggles, falling 92-89 in Atlanta on Wednesday for their fourth loss in the past five games. Friday marks the fifth game of a six-game road trip for Portland which wraps up Saturday in Detroit.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CS Northwest (Portland), TSN2 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (8-6): Portland swingman Nicolas Batum is expected to play after suffering an eye scare Wednesday. The 23-year-old Frenchman was poked in the eye by Atlanta center Zaza Pachulia in the first half and didn't return. X-rays came back negative, and Batum didn't suffer any major damage. Batum has been one of the early bright spots for the Trail Blazers, averaging 11.5 points and 4.4 rebounds in just under 25 minutes per game.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (4-11): The biggest question coming out of Toronto following Bargnani's injury was which of his teammates would step up offensively in his absence. The answer? None. The Raptors are averaging 77.8 points on 39.7 percent shooting from the field and 25.9 percent from 3-point range. Take care of the ball has been a problem as well - particularly for shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, who has 10 turnovers and one assist in his past four games.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Portland has won six straight games against Toronto. The Raptors' last win was a 116-109 overtime triumph at home Jan. 13, 2008.
2. Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby, drafted second overall by Toronto in 1996, averages 6.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 19 career games against the Raptors.
3. Portland is 6-2 this season when playing on one day of rest. The Raptors, who also had Thursday off, are 2-7.