Raptors at Clippers
THE STORY: The Los Angeles Clippers hope to have Chris Paul back in the lineup on Sunday when they host the struggling Toronto Raptors. Paul has missed four consecutive games with a strained left hamstring and the Clippers have gone 2-2 without the All-Star point guard. Los Angeles squandered a late lead in a 101-98 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Blake Griffin had 21 points and 10 rebounds for his eighth consecutive double-double, but was highly disappointed with the result. “We’ve got to close out games and make sure that once we get up that we play to win,” Griffin said. Toronto has lost seven consecutive games and nine of its last 10. The Raptors also hope to get a key player back on Sunday as forward Andrea Bargnani is progressing from a strained left calf. Toronto is just 2-7 on the road as it opens a five-game trip. The Clippers are 7-2 at home.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, TSN2 (Toronto), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (4-12): Toronto’s offense has struggled in five games without Bargnani, who averages a team-leading 22.4 points. The Raptors have averaged just 79 points per game in his absence, including showings of 64 against Chicago and 73 against Boston. Guard DeMar DeRozan has been inconsistent while struggling to pick up the slack and Toronto is next-to-last in the NBA in scoring. The Raptors scored 104 points in their season opener and haven’t reached 100 since.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (8-5): Paul isn’t the only ailing Los Angeles starter. Forward Caron Butler missed the Minnesota contest with a hyperextended right knee and is listed as day to day. Butler injured the knee against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday and attempted to play through it the following night. He was visibly affected and scored just two points on 1-of-12 shooting against the Dallas Mavericks. The injury is to the same knee that Butler had season-ending surgery on last season. Ryan Gomes started in Butler’s place against Minnesota.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The teams split two meetings last season and Toronto has a 19-12 overall lead in the series.
2. Clippers guard Mo Williams has made his first seven field-goal attempts in each of the past two games while averaging 25.5 points.
3. The Raptors have held 12 straight opponents under 100 points and have allowed just one team to crack the century mark this season.