Still stuck in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors will continue their journey to dig themselves out of the hole they put themselves in thanks to a rough start to their season.
Toronto will conclude its home-and-home series with the Orlando Magic Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET on Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet East and Sportsnet ONE from Amway Center.
When these two teams met last on Sunday, the Raptors came away with one of their most complete performances of the season as they cruised to an easy 115-102 victory.
Not much has changed for either side in the day between their last encounter, so there’s good reason to believe Toronto will emerge out of Tuesday’s contest with a similar result as Sunday’s.
Here’s a look at three things to watch for as you take in the game.
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Start of long road trip
The Raptors picking up a win against the Magic Tuesday night would go a long way towards setting the right tone for what will be a long, tough road trip.
Including Tuesday’s contest in Orlando, the Raptors will be on a six-game, 11-day road trip that will see them face the Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics.
Every one of those opponents, except for maybe Washington, will prove to be a tough test for the Raptors. The direction that this club may end up going this season and how the team could look to tackle the trade deadline could be determined by how they fare during this trip.
Remember, as hyperbolic as that may sound, the Raptors are running out of time to figure out just what they are and want to be this season, and an extended road trip like the one they’re about to embark on could do a lot to either boost their confidence and give them momentum, or expose their flaws.
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Pascal looking spicy again
Over his last two games, Pascal Siakam is averaging 31 points per game on 53.5 per cent shooting.
More important than just the fact he’s scoring efficiently, however, is the way that he’s doing it.
In those last two contests, Siakam has only attempted three three-pointers, but has taken 20 free-throw attempts and, best of all, has scored 46 points in the paint — meaning nearly 75 per cent of his production has come from the inside area.
This is great news for the Raptors as it’s an indication that Siakam is playing more like the player we all were used to seeing during his first four seasons.
The three-point shot is obviously an important part of modern NBA offence, and adding a mid-range game will be needed in times of emergency to help keep defences honest, but Siakam became the player he is today because of his special ability to get into the paint and finish in there.
This is why he was trusted with the keys to the franchise as the Raptors’ max player, and it’s been quite encouraging to see it of late, even if it has only been for these last two contests.
Injury report
The Raptors will once again be without OG Anunoby Tuesday versus Orlando as he continues to deal with a left calf strain.
Norman Powell, who has missed the last two games with a quad injury, was listed as “questionable” as of the NBA’s 8:30 p.m. ET injury report, so there’s a chance he could return Tuesday.
As for the Magic, Aaron Gordon joins the list of injured Orlando players out Tuesday after he suffered that high ankle sprain in Sunday’s contest.
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