Nets at Raptors
The Toronto Raptors bounced back from a tough loss in the best way possible - by crushing their next opponent. The Raptors will try to bring the same level of intensity back home when they make a brief stop to host the Brooklyn Nets before embarking on a six-game road trip that will take them through Golden State and San Antonio.
Toronto was beginning to show signs of slippage on the defensive end during a four-game winning streak and finally had it bite them when they allowed the Atlanta Hawks to shoot 53.5 percent from the floor in a 125-121 home loss on Friday. The Raptors looked like a different team when they traveled to Orlando on Sunday and scored 28 points off 20 turnovers in a 109-79 drubbing of the Magic. The Nets, who gave up 118 points to that same Orlando squad on Friday, could not pull out a win at Philadelphia on Sunday and dropped a 108-107 decision that left them with setbacks in four of the last five contests. Brooklyn is close to the Eastern Conference basement and is staring at a brutal stretch of three games in four days with a back-to-back hosting Golden State on Thursday and visiting Cleveland on Friday after finishing up in Toronto.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), Sportsnet One (Toronto)
ABOUT THE NETS (7-19): Two wins and three single-digit losses in the last six games counts as a step in the right direction for Brooklyn. Center Brook Lopez went up against rookie sensation Joel Embiid on Sunday and held his own with 22 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four blocks in the narrow setback. "It’s tough, and our guys are absolutely playing with heart," Lopez told reporters. "There’s no quit in us. We can’t let go of the rope."
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (19-8): Toronto is in the bottom half of the league in field-goal percentage defense (45.4 percent), and coach Dwane Casey believes the effort against the Magic is what the team needs to bring to each game. "I thought that was a good bounce-back for us after our lackluster defensive game against Atlanta, but that’s the way we have to play," Casey told reporters. "If we’re going to be important or relevant in this league, we have to play with that defensive intensity every night." The Raptors should have a chance to win every night as long as they bring star guard DeMar DeRozan, who is riding another hot streak with 30 or more points in four straight games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas recorded a double-double in four of the last six games.
2. Nets PG Jeremy Lin (hamstring) was up to 22 minutes off the bench on Sunday as he works his way back to full strength.
3. Toronto swept the four-game series last season while winning by an average of 10.3 points.