Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets: Preview, TV Schedule, Injuries and more

The Toronto Raptors will be looking for some revenge tonight as they host an even more depleted Charlotte Hornets team than the one that beat them 10 days ago.

That loss extended Toronto’s losing skid to three games, before the New York Knicks capped it off with a fourth at Madison Square Garden. Coming off of a loss in the second game of their home doubleheader with the Atlanta Hawks, the Raptors will look to avoid starting another losing streak tonight.

Speaking of losing streaks, Charlotte is currently on a four game losing streak of their own, with that December 8 game against the Raptors being their last win. Already a team lower in the Eastern Conference, it doesn’t help that the Hornets are dealing with a plethora of injuries. Former Rookie of the Year and All-Star LaMelo Ball remains out with an ankle injury that has sidelined him for a few weeks now, while Cody Martin and Frank Ntilikina have also been designated as out for tonight’s matchup.

What’s unclear with the Hornets injury report is not only the “Questionable” and “Doubtful” designations for Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington and Mark Williams, but the status of Miles Bridges.

The forward was reportedly denied entry into Canada due to an ongoing legal matter surrounding his domestic violence case that saw the NBA suspend him for 30 games and caused him to remain out for the entirety of the 2022-23 season and the first 10 games of 2023-24.

Facing a potentially heavily depleted team already on a four game losing streak, Toronto cannot take this game lightly as they did the last time these teams matched up. A brutal start saw the Raptors trail by 10+ points for much of the game before a triumphant comeback led to Toronto re-taking the lead before dropping the game by only three points. The Raptors trailed after the first quarter in both games against the Atlanta Hawks last week, so starting on time and taking an early lead will be key for this squad tonight.

How to Watch:

TSN at 7:30 p.m. ET

Lineups:

Toronto: Dennis Schroder, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl

Charlotte: Terry Rozier, Brandon Miller, Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington, Nick Richards

Injuries:

Toronto: Christian Koloko (Out - Respiratory)

Charlotte: LaMelo Ball (Out - Ankle), Gordon Hayward (Questionable - Illness), Cody Martin (Out - Knee), Frank Ntilikina (Out - Tibia), Terry Rozier (Probable - Thumb), PJ Washington (Questionable - Shoulder), Mark Williams (Doubtful - Back), Miles Bridges (Unclear - Border)

Consistent Threes

The Raptors have shot the deep ball well as of late, sitting around the 40% clip in both games of their Atlanta doubleheader. The same cannot be said for the last time they faced the Hornets, as they shot a measly 18% from behind the arc. Charlotte surprisingly is in the top half of the league for three-point attempts against them, allowing less threes to get up than the average team. However, they allow the fourth best three-point percentage, with opponents shooting roughly 39% from deep against them.

Continuing the shooting prowess the Raptors seem to have found lately will be a huge factor in tonight’s matchup, especially considering that the Hornets themselves attempt the fifth-least amount of threes in the NBA.

Frontcourt Domination

The last time Toronto’s leading scorer in a game was a guard was back on November 21 when Dennis Schroder led the way scoring wise in a loss to the Orlando Magic. Considering the players Charlotte is missing, the Raptors frontcourt of Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl, Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby will likely be facing backup players forced into larger roles. Siakam has historically dominated the Hornets, averaging more than 30 points against Charlotte last season and posted 25 points (alongside a Scottie Barnes 30-point triple double) in their last matchup. The Raptors have looked to the four aforementioned players to lead the way scoring wise for much of of this season, and may have a great opportunity in front of them to take down a struggling team.