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Clippers vs Raptors Preview: A Tough Test in Toronto
The Clippers will look to continue their winning streak in a tough game on the road in Toronto against a good Raptors team.
Game
Information
Where: Scotiabank Center, Toronto, Canada
When: 4:30 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected
Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac
Raptors: Immanuel Quickley – Jamal Shead – Brandon Ingram – Scottie Barnes – Collin Murray-Boyles
Injuries
Clippers: Ivica Zubac Questionable (Ankle), Kawhi Leonard Questionable (Ankle), John Collins Questionable (Groin), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Bogdan Bogdanovic Out (Hamstring), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)
Raptors: RJ Barrett Out (Ankle), Jakob Poeltl Out (Back), Ja’Kobe Walter Out (Hip), Jamison Battle Doubtful (Ankle), Immanuel Quickley Questionable (Back), Sandro Mamukelashvili Questionable (Illness), Garrett Temple Questionable (Back)
The Big
Picture
It certainly
wasn’t pretty, but the Clippers picked up a relatively easy win over the
Wizards on Wednesday, pushing their win streak to four games. That win combined
with a Grizzlies loss yesterday has the Clippers dead even with the Grizzlies
for the 10th seed in the Western Conference: if the Clippers win
this game, they will officially be in postseason position halfway through the
season. The driver of the Clippers’ success continues to be Kawhi Leonard, who
powered a fairly low-strength Clippers team on Wednesday and has been playing
at a superstar level for about a month now. The Clippers now have to hope that
the rest of their roster can get and stay healthy, as Ivica Zubac and John
Collins missed the game on Wednesday and are questionable tonight. Just about
every time it seems as though the Clippers are reaching closer to full
strength, someone else goes down. Let’s hope that Collins and Zu return and the
Clippers field close to their full complement of players against Toronto.
The
Antagonist
The Raptors are one of the most surprising teams in the NBA. Largely projected as a mediocrity, the Raptors are 4th in the East with a 25-17 record, and are just a game back of the 2nd-place Knicks. The Raptors have largely won games on their defense, as they sit at 5th in the NBA on that end while their offense is only 19th. The Raptors are led by Scottie Barnes, who is finally living up to his supermax contract and early-career hype by transforming into an All-Defense caliber player that contributes in a variety of ways on offense. The Raptors have also been helped by a shockingly healthy Brandon Ingram season; even though Ingram has always been (and is still) overrated, his ability to just get buckets has helped a Raptors team that does not score easily. Add in feisty, young defenders like Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles and you have a team that plays with a lot of energy and is kind of annoying to play against. The Raptors don’t quite have the juice to be a contender, but they are a solid playoff team no matter how you slice it.
Notes
The King in the North: We are closing in on seven years since the Raptors’ title in 2019, but expect the cheers for Kawhi Leonard to be as loud as ever. Despite some fans’ misgivings about Kawhi leaving Toronto right after winning a championship to go to the Clippers (Raptors fans might be the most pro Pablo Torre, anti Clippers fanbase in the league), Kawhi is still beloved in Toronto, and he will almost certainly get a big ovation at the start of the game. The way he’s been playing of late has been reminiscent of 2019 Raptors Kawhi, and it would be great if he could give the Toronto crowd a nice throwback performance (resulting in a Clippers’ win of course).
Feed Zu: If Zu plays, this is a game the Clippers should go to him early and often. The Raptors’ usual starting center, Poeltl, is out, and while Collin Murray-Boyles is a really fun, promising player, he’s giving up a ton of size against Big Zu. The Raptors, of course, will do their best to front the post and prevent Zu from catching the ball in his favorite spots, but the Clippers have to push past that and continue to give Zu the rock. If the Clips give Zu a steady diet of touches in this game, I’d be pretty surprised if he didn’t reward them. Of course, if he’s out, that shifts the entire gameplan, but let’s hope he’s active and ready to go tonight.
Clippers vs Raptors Preview: A Tough Test in Toronto
Robert Flom