The Toronto Raptors play game 5 of their 6 game road trip as they take on the Timberwolves in Minnesota.
(35-16) Toronto Raptors @ (16-37) Minnesota Timberwolves
Probable starting line-ups:
Toronto – PG – Kyle Lowry SG – DeMar DeRozan C – Jonas Valanciunas SF – Norman Powell PF – Luis Scola
Minnesota – PG – Ricky Rubio SG – Andrew Wiggins C – Gorgui Dieng SF – Shabazz Muhammad PF – Karl-Anthony Towns
Stats Leaders:
Toronto – PPG – DeMar DeRozan 23.2 RPG – Jonas Valanciunas 9.4 APG – Kyle Lowry 6.2
Minnesota – PPG – Andrew Wiggins 20.7 RPG – Karl-Anthony Towns 10.1 APG – Ricky Rubio 8.6
Team Scoring: (with league ranking in parentheses)
Toronto – PF – 101.6 (16th) PA – 97.0 (5th)
Minnesota – PF – 100.1 (21st) PA – 103.9 (23rd)
Overview:
The Toronto Raptors have won 3 straight after a 103-89 victory at the Detroit Pistons on Monday evening. Starting point guard Kyle Lowry led the way with 25 points. He also had 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. He shot 9 of 14 from the field, 5 of 5 from the free throw line, and 2 of 5 from the 3 point line. Backup small forward Terrence Ross came off the bench to pour in 18 points. He also had 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He was 7 of 13 from the field and 4 of 6 from the 3 point line. Starting shooting guard DeMar DeRozan tallied 17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists. He was 5 of 14 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Starting center Jonas Valanciunas scored 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. He also had 3 assists and 3 steals. He shot 7 of 9 from the field and 1 of 2 from the free throw line. The team shot 55.7% from the field, 82.4% from the free throw line, and 55% from the 3 point line. They attempted 17 free throws and made 14 of them. They made 11 of 20 shots from beyond the arc. They were out-rebounded by their opposition 39-36. They had 11 steals in the game. They scored 16 fast break points and 38 points in the paint. In the 2nd they outscored the Pistons 30-19 and in the 4th they outscored their opponent 33-24. Tonight is their 28th road game of the season. They are 17-10 on the road thus far. Their next game is Friday at the Chicago Bulls.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had their 2 game winning streak snapped with a 116-102 defeat at home versus the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. Rookie starting center Karl-Anthony Towns led the team with a double-double as he poured in 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. He shot 6 of 10 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Starting shooting guard Andrew Wiggins notched 15 points, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He was 5 of 14 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free throw line. Backup small forward Shabazz Muhammad came off the bench to tally 14 points and 9 rebounds. He was 4 of 13 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free throw line. Starting center Gorgui Dieng also had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. He also had 4 assists. He shot 5 of 10 from the field, 1 of 3 from the free throw line, and 1 of 2 from the 3 point line. Starting point guard Ricky Rubio netted 11 points. He also had 7 assists and 5 rebounds. He was 3 of 7 from the field and 5 of 7 from the free throw line. The team shot 44.4% from the field, 80% from the free throw line, and 16.7% from the 3 point line. They attempted 35 free throws and made 28 of them. They missed 10 of their 12 attempted 3-point shots. They out-rebounded the Pelicans 50-41. They had 24 assists in the game. They had 9 blocks in the game. They turned the ball over 12 times. They scored 16 fast break points and 52 points in the paint. They trailed 95-70 after 3 quarters. Tonight is their 28th home game of the season. They are 8-19 at home thus far. Tonight is the final game of a 7 game home stand. They are 5-1 on the current home stand. After tonight they go on the road for 2 in a row. Their next game is Saturday at the Houston Rockets.
Tonight is the first meeting of the season between Toronto and Minnesota. The Raptors have won the last 8 meetings with the Timberwolves. After tonight the 2 teams play 1 more time: February 24th at Toronto.
Prediction:
The Raptors are currently in the 2nd spot in the East, 2 games behind the East-leading Cavaliers. The Timberwolves have the 3rd worst record in the Western Conference. The Raptors have owned this series for quite a while now and I don’t see why that would change tonight. The Raptors are on fire and they’ll keep that torch lit this evening.
Take the Raptors -6 (1.90) (Bet365)
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