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On the back of a thrilling win on Thursday night, the Charlotte Hornets are again on home court to face the Toronto Raptors this weekend. Bringing in Gordon Hayward this offseason and drafting LaMelo Ball has made a huge difference for the side that finished 10th in the East last season. Indeed, that victory brought the Hornets onto a .500 record and only 5 wins behind their tally from last campaign.
As for the Toronto Raptors, this season has been a reality check for the franchise that, for the past 5 seasons, has dominated the conference. Rumors over Kyle Lowry's future continue to swirl as the front office looks to rebuild around young stars Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet.
There is no denying the Toronto Raptors have quality players, including Most Improved Player of the Year candidate Chris Boucher. However, they will struggle against the East's elite should they make the playoffs.
Match Details
Fixture: Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Saturday, March 13th; 7:00 PM ET (Sunday, March 14th; 5:30 AM IST).
Venue: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Toronto Raptors Preview
In their rollercoaster matchup against Atlanta, the Toronto Raptors impressed despite being without regular starters VanVleet, Siakam and Anunoby. The trio remained out, following the league's health and safety protocols and it is unclear if they will return on Saturday.
After the defeat, Nick Nurse's side fell below the Hawks in the East, but sit only 2 games behind 4th-placed Boston in the competitive conference standings. While the Toronto Raptors defense has been particularly leaky recently, their offense has impressed. Peripheral stars Norman Powell and Chris Boucher impressed against Atlanta, combining for 62 points.
Without their usual starting lineup, the Toronto Raptors may find it hard to reverse their recent 3-game losing run.
Key Player - Kyle Lowry
It is difficult to look past a player more important to the Toronto Raptors franchise than Kyle Lowry. The point guard surpassed Chris Bosh on Thursday night to become Toronto's 2nd-highest leading scorer of all time in another vintage display by the veteran, in which he poured in 17 points and and dished out 12 assists.
Lowry's future at the Toronto Raptors remains murky, particularly with his free agency this summer. However, if the franchise are to compete for the playoffs this season, Lowry will be essential to their success.
At 34, he is still putting up terrific numbers, averaging 18 points a night and 7.2 assists. He shoots at over 45% from the field and over 40% from downtown, the combination of which he has only done once in his career in 2016-17.
Toronto Raptors Predicted Lineup
G Kyle Lowry, G DeAndre' Bembry, F Norman Powell, F Stanley Johnson, C Aron Baynes
Charlotte Hornets Preview
The Charlotte Hornets are well in the race to make the postseason and could even snatch home court advantage should the likes of the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat continue to slip up. Winning 6 of their last ten matchups, the Hornets have their sights firmly set on a playoff appearance for the first time in 5 seasons.
LaMelo Ball is the latest Charlotte Hornets starlet and is comfortably the favorite for Rookie of the Year. Alongside Ball, the franchise have a young core of scorers as well as max-earner Gordon Hayward.
Many questioned the Charlotte Hornets decision to bring in the veteran forward. However, with 21.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, Hayward has revived his elite form from 2017 and will most likely push his side into the top-8 in the East.
Key Player - Terry Rozier
The Charlotte Hornets have had several key players this season, however, it was Terry Rozier who caught the headlines on Thursday night after scoring 12 of his team's final 15 points in the win over Detroit.
Rozier went into clutch-mode as the shooting guard continued his career-high scoring year. Currently averaging 20.4 points a night, he and LaMelo Ball will create a formidable guard partnership going forward for the Charlotte Hornets.
Rozier has flourished since moving to the Charlotte Hornets to become their permanent starting guard. His field-goal percentage has continued to increase, at a personal best 48.8% this season, while also having an efficiency rating 2.8 above the league's average.
Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineup
G Terry Rozier, G LaMelo Ball, F PJ Washington, F Gordon Hayward, C Cody Zeller
Raptors vs Hornets Match Prediction
Should the Toronto Raptors be without their regular hitters for Saturday's matchup, the Charlotte Hornets will likely be close favorites on home court. The two times these sides have met this season, both games were extremely close with Toronto running out narrow 3-point victors in each.
Regardless of the lineups, the Charlotte Hornets come into this high on confidence after creeping up to 6th in the East and could take advantage of Toronto's recent fall. Both franchises are neck and neck in offensive and defensive efficiency, therefore we can expect another close matchup.
Where to watch the Raptors vs Hornets Matchup?
Audiences in America can catch the game locally on FOX Sports Southeast - Charlotte as well as on Sportsnet for Toronto Raptors fans. Elsewhere, you can stream the matchup with an NBA League Pass.
