Washington is a solid playoff-ready club that mirrors the Raptors in many ways. The Wizards have surrounded a young backcourt with veterans that have plenty of playoff experience—especially last year’s last second Raptor killer Paul Pierce. There is very little to choose between the clubs, though the Raptors have dominated regular season play winning six of seven contests over the past two years. The Raptors will definitely need a healthy and productive Kyle Lowry to combat a healthy and effective John Wall. The Wizards, like the Raptors, rely on their wings for the majority of their scoring with Wall, Pierce and Bradley Beal combining for nearly half the team’s offence. Without Lowry the Raptors defence has been exposed and if Lowry is not healthy it will make the Raptors easy pickings for Wall’s paint penetration.
Raptors Need Tyler Hansbrough’s Toughness Once Again | Pro Bball Report
Unfortunately for Hansbrough he was one of ‘losers’ after last season’s big trade with Sacramento as the Raptors bench got significantly deeper and more talented. However, Casey never completely took him out of the rotation and with Toronto looking like a team playing for nothing over the past month and a half, it’s been Hansbrough who has stepped up to provide some toughness, energy and effort as the team prepares for the postseason. “Tyler is our energizing bunny,” Casey said. “He comes in there and does a lot that stuff, rebounding, setting screens, running the floor, getting contact in the paint. He does a lot of that for us.”
Eccentric Johnson is Raps’ wild card – Article – TSN
“Landry Fields and Greg Stiemsma called it the ‘Easy Button,’ because I get to the paint so easy and score,” Johnson told TSN.ca after recording 11 points and seven rebounds in the victory. “So I went with that. I like it.” “That’s the Easy Button.” His teammates have a point. Johnson has been near automatic around the bucket, where most of his shots are coming from these days. Only two NBA players – DeAndre Jordan and Tyson Chandler – are shooting a higher percentage within eight-feet of the rim (minimum 200 attempts). So, was the change inspired by his team’s upcoming trip to the playoffs? Is it an expression of Raptors pride? Did he consider dying his beard too? “I thought about it,” he said. “I thought it would have been OD, though. I wasn’t trying to go crazy.”
Jensen: Court Vision: With loss to Raptors, Hornets almost done | FOX Sports
With Charlotte now three games out of the playoff race with only four games left in the season, reality struck the Hornets following their big home loss to the Raptors on Wednesday night that they’re not going to make the playoffs. And even though the season is basically over, Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said there’s still things to be gained in these final games. “With all the injuries … they’re all going to get their minutes,” he said. “I want Kemba (Walker) to play. He’s getting closer to getting his rhythm back, but I want him to play because these four games will be good for him. He’s still trying to get comfortable. “We’ll probably rest Mo (Williams) more because he’s tired. We’ll play the young guys.” Walker said he feels pretty healthy and that injuries have nothing to do with his play since returning from knee surgery.
Instant Reax: Raptors take down Hornets, diminish playoff hopes –
Injuries have crippled the Hornets down this crucial end of season stretch, and it really showed tonight. Players have been cast into roles and minutes that they were not remotely prepared for – these past two games it has been vastly apparent. Charlotte struggled from the field all night long, managing just 34% on 28-81 field goals. They tried to make a game of it with a barrage of triples in the fourth quarter, however it was too-little-too-late. The Raptors opened the floodgates in the second quarter and the game was really never in question after that point. Kemba Walker led all scorers with 15 points for the Buzz while Mo Williams and Brian Roberts barely reached double-figures with 10 points each. The Raptors were wildly more efficient, managing 42% from the floor and 44% from beyond-the-arc.
Hornets forget objective of basketball, lose to Raptors 92-74 – At The Hive
Like usual, just going by the final score doesn’t really tell the whole story. The Hornets were down by almost thirty points at one stage in the game, before the Raptors decided they weren’t going to try on defense for most of the fourth quarter (a defensible decision, as they’re a playoff team in need of resting their starters, and also because they were up by a lot of points). The Hornets shot .283 from the floor in the first three quarters. To give you a sense of how terrible that is, here’s an interesting stat: The last player to shoot .283 or worse in a full season played in 1952. He’s so old that he still was allowed to play professional basketball even though his name was Howie. And the Hornets, as a team, amounted to Howie. Want further context for how bad that is? The Hornets were doing that poorly against the Raptors, who rank 26th in the league in defensive efficiency. Yeah, they scored 45 points in 36 minutes against a bottom-five defense.
Toronto Raptors blow out the Charlotte Hornets
Defence: A+ Playing a team devoid of any real offensive threats was exactly what the severely shaken Raptors team needed to get back on track. The team allowed only 74 points on only 34.6 shooting. The hope that Raptors fans have now is that this performance provided both a boost in confidence as well as a reminder of what can make them successful come playoff time, especially if they can draw the Bucks in the playoffs.
Raptors Squash Hornets In 92-74 Blowout Win – Raptors HQ
A balanced offensive effort and some much-needed defence. That’s what it took for the Toronto Raptors to finally get the monkey off their backs in Charlotte, as they wiped out the Hornets 92-74 Wednesday night. It’s their first win in seven tries against the Hornets and their first win in the Hornets building since March 29, 2010. In what’s become a space to be critical more than anything, it’s nice to give some positive shout-outs. DeMar DeRozan put together another dominant performance, leading all scorers with 18 points, then adding seven assists and three blocks(!!) for an amazing +29 mark. Tyler Hansbrough continued his ferocious play of late, getting 12 points and 12 rebounds for the double-double. Greivis Vasquez and Terrence Ross both had the long ball going, combining to go 7-for-11 from deep for 25 points.
Raptors’ James Johnson Red-y for playoffs | Raptors | Sports | Toronto Sun
“I woke up following the plane ride and I decided to dye my hair red,” said Johnson, a product of nearby Wake Forest. “And I went through with it.” There was no inspiration, no intention of complementing the red look by having his beard follow suit. “I just wanted a change,” added Johnson, who visited his college barber who operates a shop in the Queen City after moving from Winston-Salem, N.C. “I don’t want the spotlight on my head or me or anything like that, but it’s just a change for myself.” The playoffs are around the corner, a time when athletes in all pro sports resort to some form of ritual.
Raptors get a break as Al Jefferson not available to Hornets | Raptors | Sports
Jefferson missed his team’s loss Tuesday in Miami because of knee pain, prompting Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford to rule out his main post presence for Toronto’s visit. “Like most teams, we had a busy March,” said Clifford. “We played 17 games in 30 days and he didn’t want to sit out. I think it (Jefferson’s knee) just progressively got worse. “Now he’s trying to rest it and see if he can go maybe this weekend.” Jefferson was held out of practice on Monday, prompting some to speculate that the Hornets would shut down Jefferson for the balance of the season.
Raptors Roll By Charlotte | Charlotte Hornets
Hornets Player of the Game Kemba Walker was the main man for Charlotte, finishing with a team-high 15 points along with four rebounds and three assists in the loss. Over his last three games, Walker is now averaging 18.6 points on 42.6 percent shooting, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Hornets. Raptors Player of the Game Former-UNC Tar Heel Tyler Hansbrough had a big night in his return to North Carolina, finishing with 12 points, a season-high 12 rebounds (five offensive) and two blocks for his second double-double of the season. Both of Hansbrough’s double-doubles have now come within the last four games as he has also scored in double figures in three of those four games as well.
Raptors end six-game slide against Hornets | Toronto Star
“For some reason, (we’ve) always had bad luck against this team, especially down here,” said DeMar DeRozan, who had not won a game in Charlotte since his rookie season. He scored a team-high 18 points Wednesday and added seven assists in a 92-74 victory that snapped a six-game losing streak against the Hornets that dated back to 2013. “It just felt good to come in here and get a win at a critical time when we need it,” DeRozan said. Though coach Dwane Casey said before the game that it was crucial for the Raptors to come out swinging against the Hornets, he wasn’t happy with his team’s performance until the second quarter, when Toronto’s defence, led by some aggressive play from Tyler Hansbrough, really caught on. The Raptors held Charlotte to a dismal 34.6 per cent shooting from the field, contesting jumpers, blocking shots and hustling to guard the Hornets’ pick-and roll attacks.
Raptors beat Hornets to end drought in Charlotte – Sportsnet.ca
“The first quarter wasn’t very good,” Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. “But I thought in the second quarter we set the tone of how we want to play. We started the second quarter and finished the game doing what we wanted to do defensively.” DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points for Toronto, Lou Williams and Greivis Vasquez had 16 points, and Tyler Hansbrough added 12 points and 12 rebounds. “For some reason, we’ve always had bad luck against this team, especially playing here (in Charlotte),” DeRozan said. “But it felt good to get a win against this team at a critical time for us.”
Williams Continues To Show Confidence In Role As Playmaker | Toronto Raptors
“My hat is off to Lou,” head coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s done a heck of a job playing the point. It kind of takes away from his scoring, what he does with his scoring. We’ve been trying to find ways to be creative to find ways for him to score.” Playing alongside DeRozan has allowed for Williams to play his game while also acting as a point guard when he’s on the floor. DeRozan’s court vision has improved immensely since his rookie season and the fifth-year swingman credits the time on the sideline during his injury with helping him to learn how and where his teammates like receiving the ball. “I know the attention is all going to come me,” DeRozan said. “Just watching film and understanding how to get my teammates involved, especially when I draw so much attention, I try not to worry about scoring so much unless the team really needs me and I try to create for everybody else.”
