Preview: Toronto Raptors vs New Orleans Pelicans — Start time, injuries and more
The Raptors will host the New Orleans Pelicans tonight, but will be missing a whole cast of players.
The Toronto Raptors are back in action tonight, a rare Tuesday night game for the team, and the last game of a four game home stand. In town? The New Orleans Pelicans.
Maybe you have selective memory and forget that the last time these two teams played each other, it resulted in a 138-100 loss for the Raptors and a 41 point game for Brandon Ingram.
Sorry to have to remind you of THAT, but the situation is a little more dire tonight... let’s get into it.
Game Details
How to Watch: 7:30 pm EST on Sportsnet
Lineups:
Toronto: Gary Trent Jr., Immanuel Quickley, Kelly Olynyk, RJ Barrett, Ochai Agbaji
New Orleans: Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones. Jonas Valanciunas, CJ McCollum
Injuries:
Toronto: Scottie Barnes (OUT - hand), Jakob Poeltl, (OUT - hand), Bruce Brown (OUT - knee)
New Orleans: Dyson Daniels (OUT - knee)
Scottie Barnes Injury Update
If there was any hope of Scottie Barnes coming back at some point to end off the season, that hope is now most likely dashed. After he hurt his hand in last Friday’s game against the Golden State Warriors, the team announced Barnes had fractured the third metacarpal bone of his left hand.
That’s the bone right under your ring finger, by the way.
On Monday, it was announced Scottie had travelled to Los Angeles to receive a surgery to help with he recovery of his fracture. With the timeline of his return lining up with the end of the regular season, and the Raptors likely not pushing to make the Play-In Tournament, it’s widely believed Scottie is done for the season.
It makes sense, why rush? The team doesn’t have many hopes of a postseason run, and you shouldn’t rush your star player back from a broken bone injury.
So, the team will be without Scottie. The disappointment mostly lands in the area of not being able to see this full core develop together for the rest of the season.
Jakob Poeltl + Bruce Brown Also Out
The end of the season usually sees more injuries than the beginning, and the Raptors are seemingly victims of that injury bug.
Joining Scottie Barnes on the injury report is Jakob Poeltl who also has a hand injury, as well as Bruce Brown, with a knee injury.
Unfortunately that means the Raptors are now down two starters and another important veteran player. It is likely Gradey Dick or Ochai Agbaji will now enter the starting lineup in place of Barnes, while Kelly Olynyk will likely start for Poeltl.
Luckily, Olynyk is skilled and experienced enough to make a smooth transition into the lineup, but as a result the team’s activity on the glass may suffer. It doesn’t help they will be up against Jonas Valanciunas on the other side.
Stopping Williamson and Ingram
The two names at the top of the scouting report will likely be Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. As mentioned before, Ingram scored 41 points the last time the Raptors faced the Pelicans.
Ingram is also coming off a 34 point performance against the Indiana Pacers, and has been on an absolute tear this season. He is averaging 21.9 points per game for the Pelicans this season.
Williamson seems to be having one of his first full and successful seasons since he was drafted, after struggling with a few injuries over the years. He is averaging 22.1 points per game and has caused the Raptors a lot of struggle.
With a record of 36-25 going into this game, the Pelicans are in a tight race for Western Conference standings. They sit in 5th overall, 3.5 games behind the LA Clippers in 4th. As the season winds down, New Orleans will be fighting to catch up, in hopes of securing the home court advantage a top-four seed would grant them.
That makes a win tonight all more important to them. Should be interesting!