Hornets at Raptors
The Toronto Raptors haven't looked like a team that can return to the Eastern Conference finals lately, so a move was made that may allow the squad to get back on track. Toronto acquired veteran forward Serge Ibaka from Orlando, but it isn't yet known whether or not he will be available for Wednesday's game against the visiting Charlotte Hornets.
The Raptors fell for the 11th time in 15 games when they suffered a 105-94 loss to Chicago on Tuesday, but point guard Kyle Lowry hopes the deal in which forward Terrence Ross was sent to the Magic will prove to be a turning point. "I think he's a great addition," Lowry told reporters of Ibaka. "I think he's a great addition to any team, and especially to ours where we can add some shot-blocking, some outside shooting, some inside toughness, some athleticism running up and down the floor. I think he's gonna be a guy that can take some pressure off of me and DeMar (DeRozan)." Charlotte is in its own rut with 10 losses in 11 games and has slid to 10th place in the East - 1 1/2 games behind eighth-place Detroit. The Hornets have lost all 10 road contests since the calendar turned to 2017 and are 8-18 on the season as they began a string of seven consecutive games away from home.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Charlotte), TSN (Toronto)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (24-31): Starting center Cody Zeller has modest averages of 10.8 points and 6.5 rebounds, but Charlotte struggles whenever he is absent from the lineup. Zeller (quadriceps) has been ruled of Wednesday's game, and the Hornets are just 2-14 when he sits out compared to 22-17 when he plays. All-Star point guard Kemba Walker is the team's top player, but he averaged just 13.2 points and shot 28.4 percent in the first five games this month before scoring 29 on 10-of-18 shooting in Monday's 105-99 loss to Philadelphia.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (32-24): Toronto was 28-13 at the midway point of the season before the current slump that has seen it drop from second to fifth in the East. DeRozan, the All-Star guard, scored just 18 points on 5-of-19 shooting in the loss to Chicago to end a career-best streak of 20 consecutive games of 20 or more, but he joined Lowry in praise of the move to land Ibaka. "He's definitely one of a kind when it comes to rim protection, being able to score in the post and also space the floor as well," DeRozan told reporters.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams have split two meetings this season, but Charlotte's win was a one-sided 113-78 triumph on Jan. 20.
2. Lowry has connected on at least four 3-pointers in each of his last four games.
3. Hornets C Miles Plumlee (calf) will sit out after being injured on Monday.