Raptors at Trail Blazers
The Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers have been sizzling from long distance lately and they’ll try to continue that trend when they meet Tuesday in Portland. The Trail Blazers have combined for 51 3-pointers in the last three games—the only team in NBA history to make at least 16 in three straight—and the Raptors have sank 46 in the last four. Wesley Matthews owns the hottest hand for the Trail Blazers, with starting backcourt mate Damian Lillard not far behind.
Matthews has converted half of his 42 attempts from long range in the last four games and that’s helped pick up the slack for leading scorer and rebounder LaMarcus Aldridge, who has missed three in that span with an upper respiratory illness. The Trail Blazers were able to get by against the undermanned New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers without Aldridge, but couldn’t beat the fellow West power Houston Rockets last week and will have a tough time getting past the East-leading Raptors without their best player. Toronto has gone 11-3 without its leading scorer from last season, DeMar DeRozan, who is sidelined with a groin injury but is on the six-game road trip.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet 360 (Toronto), CSN Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (24-7): Toronto's current hot-shooting tandem is starting point guard Kyle Lowry and backup shooting guard Lou Williams. Lowry has made half of his 38 shots from 3-point distance in the last seven games and Williams is 14-for-35 in the last six. Terrence Ross has gone quiet of late, but he gives Toronto a third sharpshooter that will surely keep Portland guessing. Where the Raptors could be vulnerable, especially if Aldridge returns, is on the glass, as the Trail Blazers lead the NBA in rebounding and Toronto is near the bottom.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (25-7): Joel Freeland continues to give Portland solid minutes at the starting center position as they await the return of Robin Lopez from a broken hand. He recorded his first career double-double in the win against the Knicks on Sunday, two days after he grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds against the 76ers. Another good sign of late has been the play of starting small forward Nicolas Batum, who scored a season-high 17 points against the Knicks after putting up 14 against Philadelphia.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Matthews went unselected n the same 2009 draft in which Portland backup F Victor Claver went 22nd overall to the Trail Blazers. Claver has appeared in three games for Portland this season.
2. Toronto has won five straight against Western Conference teams and is 9-2 overall against the West this season.
3. The Raptors are six games above .500 on the road for the first time in franchise history.