Raptors at Suns
The Toronto Raptors are coming to the end of their six-game road trip and are hoping to come out of it even when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. The Raptors have dropped two straight and are coming off a 126-105 loss at the Golden State Warriors on Friday. The Suns have the kind of offense that can put up 126 points if given the chance and showed off in a 112-96 victory over Philadelphia on Friday.
Phoenix is averaging 117.8 points over its last six games and put up at least 104 in seven straight behind the backcourt combination of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. Those two will get tested by Kyle Lowry and Greivis Vasquez, who scored a season-high 25 points in the loss to the Warriors and has reached double figures in three of the last four games off the bench. Toronto is trying to avoid its first three-game slide of the season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), SportsNet (Toronto)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (24-9): Toronto dropped two straight to a pair of Western Conference teams to close November but avoided the three-game losing streak by winning at Sacramento on Dec. 2. Toronto let a 17-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter against the Suns at home on Nov. 24 but figured things out in the final minutes and pulled out a 104-100 victory. DeMar DeRozan, who scored 23 points in that victory, is not around this time due to a groin injury but is practicing with the team and is expected to make his return when the Raptors get back home on Thursday.
ABOUT THE SUNS (19-16): Bledsoe had 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the loss to the Raptors and is thriving of late. The Kentucky product is averaging 22.3 points and 6.8 assists in the last four games and is able to get into the passing lanes on defense thanks to Alex Len and Miles Plumlee behind him protecting the rim. The two centers combined for 10 blocks in Friday’s contest, with Len swatting away a career-high six in just 16 minutes.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Len has recorded three or more blocks in four of the last eight games.
2. Lowry has scored 22 or more in six straight games.
3. Toronto had taken two straight in Phoenix before falling 106-97 last season.