|
Back-to-back games are never fun, especially when you have to travel between games. Fortunately, the Raptors are in Indiana tonight to play the hapless Pacers — truly one of the worst teams in the NBA with an 11-25 record. The Pacers have only won two of their last 13 games, but those wins occurred in their last two home dates against the T-Wolves and the Magic.
Regardless, the Raptors have to win games like this. Yesterday's loss to the Celtics was a wake-up call and I expect them to jump on the Pacers early and take this one in a walk.
Start time: 7:00pm ET
Channel: TSN
Probable starting lineups
Toronto: Jarrett Jack, DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani
Indiana: Earl Watson, Luther Head, Danny Granger, Troy Murphy, Roy Hibbert
Five questions
1. Will Roy Hibbert start tonight even though the Pacers brought him off the bench last time these two teams met? Hibbert may not match up well with Bargnani in certain ways, but he's been one of Indiana's lone bright spots during their recent slump.
2. Is T.J. Ford the highest-paid third-string point guard in the NBA? He's making $8.5 million this season and he's currently behind Earl Watson and A.J. Price on the Pacers' depth chart.
3. Can the Raptors overcome their previous woes on the second of back-to-back games? They're 2-5 in those games this season.
4. Do you agree with Hedo Turkoglu's contention that the Raptors would be better off if the offence ran through him?
5. Isn't it perfectly symbolic that Patrick O'Bryant had to ride on the Raptors' second bus going to Indiana with Matt Devlin and Jack Armstrong because he got his jacket stuck in airplane seat and the Raptors' first bus left without him? Ahhhh, P.O.B... what a character.
|
