Raptors at Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have had plenty of time to stew over their most lopsided home loss of the season and will be the more rested team when they host the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. The Raptors are coming off a 108-106 home loss to San Antonio on Tuesday and have lost three straight on the second half of back-to-backs.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies have had three full days off to think about a 119-95 setback against Houston on Saturday that dropped David Fizdale's team to 8-11 since the middle of December. "We're back into playing a lazy man's defense, and we shortcut it and not do our jobs with urgency," Fizdale told reporters Monday. "You're not going to beat the best teams like that. You don't beat the average teams playing half games. Every now and then you can pull that off. But past the halfway mark (of the regular season) teams aren't giving up anything." Memphis had the same defensive issues in a 120-105 loss at Toronto earlier in the season and it has dropped three straight meetings overall. Star guard DeMar DeRozan (ankle) sat out the loss to the Spurs and has already been ruled out for the visit to Memphis, giving the Raptors a tough task as they look to snap a season-high four-game losing streak.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TSN (Toronto), FSN Southeast (Memphis)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (28-17): DeRozan's absence puts the bulk of the scoring load on the shoulders of fellow guard Kyle Lowry, who had 30 points Tuesday night but was forced to play 42 minutes. The lengthy effort pushed Lowry into second place alone in the NBA in minutes per game (39.3) - just a shade below Cleveland superstar LeBron James - and he has played at least 40 minutes in six of his last 10 contests. Forward Jared Sullinger was given his first start of the season in the loss to San Antonio but was held scoreless while missing all four of his shots in 12 minutes.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (26-20): Marc Gasol scored 32 points in the loss to Houston and he is averaging 28 over his last four games. His teammates combined to shoot 30.4 percent from the floor - including 7-of-29 from 3-point range - as guard Tony Allen missed all six of his shots and a pair of reserves each went 1-for-6. Point guard Mike Conley, who missed the first game against Toronto this season due to a back injury, was 6-for-17 and is shooting 41.4 percent at home.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lowry registered game highs of 29 points and eight assists in the earlier win over the Grizzlies.
2. Grizzlies SG Troy Daniels (knee) is expected to miss his second straight game.
3. Raptors SF DeMarre Carroll is averaging 5.4 points on 20.5 percent shooting in a five-game span.