The Toronto Raptors are once again in action tonight to take on the Atlanta Hawks.
Toronto is coming off a blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets 121-93. Now the team will look to make it two wins in a row in Atlanta.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic recently said that the team is trying to win and get the experience of the Play-In Tournament.
If Toronto wants any chance of getting back into the Play-In picture then tonight is a must-win for them.
The Raptors are currently 4.5 games back of the final Play-In spot in the East which is held by the Hawks.
The last time these two teams played it was a thriller.
The game was back and forth in the final minutes. The Raptors took the lead after Jordan Nwora forced a turnover on Trae Young and then Gradey Dick passed the ball to Scottie Barnes who finished with the dunk.
But then on the other end Saddiq Bey dunked in Trae Young’s miss with 1.1 seconds left to lift the Hawks to a 126-125 win.
In the last meeting, the Raptors were missing some of their key pieces. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were injured, as was starting center Jakob Poeltl. Quickley and Poeltl will be in the starting lineup tonight. As for Barrett he is currently listed as questionable with “injury management.”
Outside of that, Markquis Nowell is the only Raptor officially ruled out with an hamstring injury.
Meanwhile for the Hawks, Onyeka Okongwu (Left big toe sprain) and Mouhamed Gueye (right low back stress fracture) are the only players for Atlanta on the injury report and they are both listed as out.
Toronto Raptors (20-36) vs. Atlanta Hawks (24-31)
7:30 p.m. ET, Friday, February 23, 2024
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: Sportsnet
Projected Raptors Starting Lineup:
PG: Immanuel Quickley
SG: Gary Trent Jr.
SF: R.J. Barrett
PF: Scottie Barnes
C: Jakob Poeltl
Key Reserves: Kelly Olynyk, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick
Projected Hawks Starting Lineup:
PG: Trae Young
SG: Dejounte Murray
SF: Jalen Johnson
PF: Saddiq Bey
C: Clint Capela
Key Reserves: De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Garrison Matthews
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
