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Remember when the Hornets brought fear and dread and Gerald Henderson 30-burgers with them every time they flew into town? That’s not really a thing anymore!
Toronto swept the four-game, 2017-18 series between the two clubs, and will go for their fifth-straight win over Charlotte at home tonight.
Kawhi Leonard returns to the lineup after resting for Saturday’s win over the Wizards; Delon Wright remains out, but Nick Nurse hinted he could be back in the fold on Wednesday for the Minnesota game.
Per Nurse, the same five man unit that started against Boston on Friday -- Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka -- will get the call tonight. It’s not surprising considering how well Ibaka has played both as a starter and off the bench. The Good Zeller and Bismack Biyombo are the two centres Charlotte is likely to run out, so with no obvious counter-match for either Ibaka or Jonas Valanciunas, it makes some sense to ride the hot hand. Keeping the Ibaka/Siakam pairing together doesn’t hurt either; it’s posted a 94.7 Defensive Rating in 45 minutes this season, though some offensive struggles have held it to just a +6.3 NET Rating. Maybe most encouraging is the 51.4 Rebounding Percentage the Raptors have had with those two playing together as a smallish four-five duo. Of course this all means next to nothing because that’s a teensy ass sample.
Charlotte is likely to start noted guy who is shooting fire from all his orifices, Kemba Walker, alongside Jeremy Lamb, Nic Batum, Marvin Williams and Zeller. Malik Monk has done some nice things off the bench so far this year, so keep an eye out for that.
Check out Satbir Singh’s game preview right here. And give today’s Locked on Raptors a quick listen before tip off. It comes in right around 30 minutes. How perfect.
Where to Watch:
Sportsnet One, 7:30 EST
Lineups:
Charlotte — Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, Nic Batum, Marvin Williams, Cody Zeller
Toronto — Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka
Injuries:
Charlotte — None
Toronto — Delon Wright (thigh — out)