76ers at Raptors
With the Atlantic Division title firmly in their grasp, the Toronto Raptors will look to put a major distraction behind them as they entertain the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. The Raptors have won three straight to remain well ahead of Brooklyn for the division lead. But Toronto has had to deal with some off-the-court drama after Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas was charged with driving under the influence earlier in the week.
Having addressed the media Tuesday regarding the Valanciunas incident, Toronto will now turn its attention toward extending its winning streak against a 76ers team that ranks among the worst in the league. Philadelphia has still dropped 29 of its last 31 games and comes in off a 105-101 loss to the Nets, but the Raptors were kind enough to post a 102-98 win at Milwaukee the same night to likely ensure that the 76ers won't finish last in the NBA. Toronto leads the season series 3-0, averaging 106.7 points in those wins.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, SportsNet (Toronto)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (17-60): Nerlens Noel has broken his media silence - and the injured first-round pick had plenty of positives to share. Noel hasn't played all season after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL more than a year ago, and he told reporters Tuesday that he is optimistic with how his recovery has gone. "I definitely feel I worked my but off to get where I am at now," he said. "And (I) definitely feel confident I am at my best point and have increased my vertical leap and I have just been building up my body through this past year."
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (45-32): Any team hoping to contend for a spot in the conference final has to play well on the road - and the Raptors have done that this season, having already secured their first winning record away from Toronto in franchise history. Head coach Dwane Casey noted that even the best teams labor on the road, which makes the Raptors' success even sweeter. "Our focus has been good on the road for whatever reason," he told the Toronto Star. "We keep the same routing, we try to make sure our travel is efficient, so guys can get rest."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors G DeMar DeRozan is averaging 31.3 points in the three wins over the 76ers this season.
2. Toronto's 21-18 road mark is second-best in the East, behind only the Miami Heat (22-16).
3. Noel wants to appear in one of the 76ers' final five games, but head coach Brett Brown has all but ruled it out.