The Toronto Raptors extended their winning streak to three games with a thrilling two-point win Wednesday over the Washington Wizards. Stretching that winning run to four games won’t be that easy for the Raptors, however, as standing in their way this coming Friday are the red-hot Atlanta Hawks who have won all of their last 12 games at home.
Who will emerge victorious in this showdown between Eastern Conference division leaders? Read on below for a preview of this highly anticipated clash and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers here.
The Toronto Raptors headed into the All-Star break on a winning note, edging past the Washington Wizards, 95-93, in a riveting encounter Wednesday night. DeMar DeRozan drained the biggest basket of the night, burying the go-ahead jumper with 12 seconds remaining in the game clock to give the Raptors their 36th win of the season.
[sc:NBA240banner ]DeRozan scored 23 points to lead all Toronto starters while Lou Williams provided solid production off the bench, top-scoring for the Raptors with 27 huge markers. The two have played a pivotal role in Toronto’s rise in the Eastern Conference standings with DeRozan and Williams averaging 18.3 and 15.2 points per game, respectively.
What makes Toronto such a difficult team to beat this season, though, is its balanced offensive attack. Aside from DeRozan and Williams, three Toronto players are also averaging in double-figures namely first-time All-Star Kyle Lowry (15.2 PPG), big man Jonas Valanciunas (12.0 PPG) and Terrence Ross (10.3 PPG).
It’s no surprise then that the Raptors are fifth in the league in scoring this season, averaging a whopping 105.6 points per game. That has energized their campaign this season, climbing up to second in the Eastern Conference at the halfway point with an impressive 36-17 slate.
They will have a battle in their hands in their first game after the All-Star break as they square off with the Eastern Conference-leading Hawks. The Raptors will fancy their chances, however, of beating the Hawks as they torched Atlanta in their last meeting at Philips Arena.
The Raptors exploded for 126 points in an 11-point victory over the Hawks last November 26. DeRozan and Williams starred for Toronto in that game, combining for 49 points on 14-of-27 shooting. They are expected to carry the scoring cudgels once again for the Raptors against a Hawks side that is fourth in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 96.8 points per game this season.
The Raptors are 4-0 in their last four games on the road.
The Atlanta Hawks ended their first half of the season on a sour note after suffering a gut-wrenching 89-88 defeat Tuesday night to the Boston Celtics. It was just the Hawks’ third loss of the calendar year but all three defeats have arrived in the last 10 days following a staggering 19-game winning streak that propelled them to the top of the league standings.
Their loss against the Celtics came as a complete surprise considering the Hawks were in control of the game right from the opening tip. In fact, the Hawks even led by 14 points at the seven-minute mark of the fourth quarter before suffering an unexpected collapse.
After shooting 45.2 percent from the field in the first three quarters, the Hawks struggled to buy a basket in the payoff period, knocking down just 31.3 percent of their field goal attempts. To make matters worse for the Hawks, the Celtics shot the light outs in the fourth quarter, draining 47.4 percent of their shot attempts.
With that being said, the Hawks will still be delighted with the way they have performed this season. They have surpassed expectations with their excellent play thus far, carding an Eastern Conference-best 43-11 record heading into the All-Star break.
Key to their impressive start has been their superb execution on the offensive end. The Hawks have flourished in coach Mike Budenholzer’s offensive system which puts a premium on non-stop ball movement.
To prove that point, the Hawks are second in the league in assists this season, dishing out 25.7 dimes per game. Their willingness to share the basketball was pretty much evident in their last meeting against the Raptors on January 16. The Hawks recorded a total of 30 assists in their 110-89 destruction of Toronto in that game.
For the Hawks to record back-to-back victories against the Raptors, it’s important that Atlanta follows that same offensive blue print. The onus then is on Jeff Teague to be aggressive right from the start and orchestrate the intricate Hawks offense accordingly.
Teague has been a vital cog in the Hawks’ offense this season, leading the team not only in assists (7.5 APG) but also in points (17.0 PPG) as well. He is averaging 18.5 points and 10.5 assists against the Raptors in their two meetings thus far this season.
