Raptors at Nuggets
After back-to-back losses against the league's elites, the Toronto Raptors hope to find a soft landing spot when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday in the opener of a five-game road trip. The Raptors' hot start came to a grinding halt with losses on consecutive nights to Cleveland and Golden State, although they came by a combined 10 points.
"We played both of the best teams in the NBA," DeMar DeRozan told reporters after a 34-point effort in Wednesday's 127-121 loss to the Warriors. "We were right there with them and had a couple stretches where we could put it away. We gave it away." DeRozan hit all 17 of his free throws en route to becoming the first NBA player to record nine 30-point games in his team's first 11 contests since Michael Jordan in 1987-88. One of those nine efforts came on Halloween, when he poured in 33 to help Toronto get past the Nuggets 105-102 at home. That was part of Denver's 3-7 start, although it managed to end a four-game slide with a 120-104 win over Phoenix on Wednesday in the first of four straight at home.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN (Toronto), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (7-4): While a back-to-back against Cleveland and Golden State would test any team from a defensive standpoint, Toronto has now given up an average of 113.6 points in its last five games and it could stand to shut down an opponent one of these nights. "I thought we got into an out-score-them mode, and tit-for-tat," coach Dwane Casey told reporters Wednesday. "Sometimes great scoring teams like (Cleveland on Tuesday) night and tonight's game get you in that mode and the only way we can do that is to control the tempo, but at the same time we have to try to score." Center Jonas Valanciunas should be well-rested after playing just 18 minutes (6-of-6 from the field) against the Warriors, who went with a smaller lineup as the game wore on.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (4-7): Forward Kenneth Faried has had an interesting first few weeks of the season, first losing his starting spot, expressing his distaste for the move and then reclaiming it with a solid stretch of play. Faried had season highs with 20 points, 15 rebounds and four steals against Phoenix in his third consecutive start and he has recorded back-to-back double-doubles. The 26-year-old is averaging 12.3 points (58.6 percent from the field) and 11.3 rebounds in Denver's four wins, compared to eight points (40.4 percent) and 9.1 boards in its seven losses.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Toronto entered Thursday second in the league in fewest turnovers per game (10.8) while Denver was tied for 28th (17.2).
2. Nuggets SF Wilson Chandler also had a season high with 28 points against the Suns.
3. Raptors PG Kyle Lowry is averaging 26 points over the last two games while making 7-of-14 from 3-point range.