The Toronto Raptors are set to host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:30 on Sportsnet One. I won’t waste time breaking things down, as I did just that already this morning in the game preview. So go check that out.
And be sure to check back here leading up to tip-off, as the Raptors are sure to keep their updates super double-secret until the least convenient minute.
DeMarre Carroll non-update
March 28 had been circled by some, myself included, as a potential return date for the injured Carroll, who has been out since Jan. 3 and has long since blown past the return timeline initially floated. Returning Monday would give him 10 games down the stretch, eight if he skipped back-to-back scenarios, which feels like a reasonable amount of time with which to shake the rest off.
But here we are, without update. So…who knows when this guy’s coming back?
Beat writers have been quiet on the Carroll front for a couple of weeks now (since Josh Lewenberg provided Carroll’s personal late-March target), save for Doug Smith suggesting the Raptors shut him down for the year, which…yeah, I’m not ready to go there. This team’s two-way upside is just so much higher with Carroll back, even at something like 80 percent. He could be too valuable not to try to work him back in, unless we get to the point where we’re talking one or two or even zero games. (It’s also possible that Smith floating such an idea and Bruce Arthur publicly agreeing signals that there is some information that the public doesn’t have, but that is just me spinning my wheels.)
Anyway, assume he’s out until we hear otherwise.
Terrence Ross feeling better, but still sitting
After missing the last two games with soreness in his previously injured left thumb, Ross was doing “OK,” per head coach Dwane Casey via The Woz. He was officially a game-time decision once again, and was ruled out nice and early (6 p.m.).
So no Ross for a third consecutive outing.
Russell Westbrook wants more attention
The likely top-five MVP vote-getter was apparently clowning around plenty at shootaround on Monday.
Russ Westbrook was told Casey said Raptors would have a wall of two guys at him at all times. “They better get three.”
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) March 28, 2016
Westbrook was in a great mood this morning, cracking jokes with media. He’s a new man in Canada.
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) March 28, 2016
The only thing more terrifying than angry Westbrook might be at-ease Westbrook. He had 22 points and 16 assists in the earlier meeting between the two teams, though Kyle Lowry and Cory Joseph were at least able to force him into an 8-of-21 shooting night. Perhaps Norman Powell can provide some additional resistance, allowing the nominal point guard to slide on to Andre Roberson at times?
Kevin Durant, meanwhile, called his overtime game-winner from a few years back one of his top-10 NBA moments and referred to the Raptors in reverential tones. (Sorry to keep using your tweets here, Wolstat, but you were the only one working today apparently.)
Raptors updates
See above. And as far as we know, nobody is resting, but check back.
PG: Lowry, Joseph, Delon Wright
SG: Powell
SF: DeMar DeRozan, James Johnson, Bruno Caboclo
PF: Luis Scola, Patrick Patterson, Jason Thompson
C: Jonas Valanciunas, Bismack Biyombo, Lucas Nogueira
UPDATE: Starters are the same as they have been.
Thunder updates
The Thunder are fully healthy and have no plans to rest anyone, per head coach Billy Donovan (via Anthony Slater).
PG: Westbrook, Cameron Payne
SG: Roberson, Randy Foye, Dion Waiters, Anthony Morrow
SF: Durant, Kyle Singler, Josh Huestis
PF: Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison, Mitch McGary
C: Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Nazr Mohammed
The line
The Raptors are 3-point underdogs at home, which, to be quite honest, feels pretty fair. The Thunder are great, the Raptors remain thin on the wing, and while Lowry and DeRozan still exist in a meaningful way, there’s still a chance they’re late scratches or have their workloads managed tightly. It doesn’t feel like their night, but with a 50th win on the line, maybe they surprise. (Not that a win would be a surprise, but the Thunder are rightly favored here. Sorry.)
Thunder 106, Raptors 102.
