The Toronto Raptors are poised to stay hot against the Atlanta Hawks tonight at Scotia Bank Arena!
Tonight's the night.
The Toronto Raptors are aiming to make it four in a row as they take on the Atlanta Hawks at home. Raptors fans are ecstatic - they're on a roll and looking to close out their season-high, six-game homestand in style. The team's been playing some of the best basketball of the year, looking unstoppable against the Trail Blazers and back-to-back games against the Hornets. They're looking to stay hot by taking down the undersized Hawks with their trademark defence and star power up front. This is a golden chance for Dino's nation to witness their team finding its way back to where it belongs, the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Thursday was another feel-good victory for the Raptors: they beat the Hornets wire to wire. Scottie Barnes posted an impressive 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Pascal Siakam had another stellar performance with 35 points on 11 for 13 shooting from the field, and O.G Anunoby came through with 15 points and four steals. Anunoby has been making headlines lately as he currently leads the NBA in steals recording 2.26 per game this season. We have what it takes; Raptors' nation knows that!
Siakam’s masterful plays are certainly making a strong case why his stats should be elevated further this season as he continues to lead his team against some tough opponents in the East conference like a true top five in the NBA. It's time for the res of the NBA to recognize that.
The Raptors' bench is showing up game after game, and now finally healthy with Precious Achiuwa back.
Jubilant energy pumped through the Scotia Bank Arena as Toronto's bench unit stepped up and made a real difference in back-to-back games against the Hornets. Led by Precious Achiuwa with an impressive 10 points and a career-high of five steals, he's really ramped up their play. With newfound confidence, Raptors fans hope for the same from the bench against the Hawks tonight!
It'll be a test to see if the bench, once again, will have what it takes to push past Atlanta and capitalize on this winning streak - one that might be extended even further tonight! There's no doubt that it's not just Precious Achiuwa doing it off the bench, but the bench all of a sudden looks like the old bench mob. Precious' passion has been palpable on the court, and his impact has been undeniable since his return.
Raptors' offence is finally looking fluid!
After losing 11 of 15. the Toronto Raptors' fortunes drastically changed in a week. After weeks of a struggling offence and poor defence, Coach Nick Nurse and his team have now won three in a row, and they've looked good doing it averaging 124.3 points per game. Against the Hornets on Tuesday, they racked up 30 assists and followed that up with an even more impressive 32 again on Thursday. It might be hard to believe, but the Raptors have officially turned their season around in a matter of a few days.
The ball movement and off-ball movement have improved tremendously. Coach Nurse anticipated things would only get better, too, as he commented if the Raptors had just taken advantage of some open looks, they could’ve put 40 assists on the board! Now with these three wins, there’s hope for their season prospects. The morale in the camp has lifted, and the players are feeling optimistic about not just playing well together but enjoying themselves out on the court too.
The Raptors should take advantage of the Hawks on their second night back-to-back.
Despite a win against Indiana Pacers, inconsistency has been a common theme for the Hawks this season. To find their footing in this matchup, Onyeka Okongwu called for more aggression and player commitment to facilitate a desired offensive tempo; the Hawks, with a record of 20-22, feel that they're better than their record.
The reality is that the Hawks are on the second night of a back-to-back, and they haven't been a good team on no rest this season. With four of five starters logging more than 34 minutes in that game, they're battling fatigue and missing their defensive anchor -- Clint Capela. Tonight is the night that the Raptors should capitalize on a tired Hawks team and take home a win.
Let's get it tonight! Let's go Raptors ...
