This Sunday, the Toronto Raptors will be paying a visit to Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center.
Blazers are enduring a tough patch, suffering 12 losses in their last 14 games and are seeking avenues for improvement following a recent drubbing by the Houston Rockets with a scoreline of 107:123. The team is aiming to halt a string of 9 home game losses in the impending fixture, hoping to get back on the winning streak after unsuccessful matches with Oklahoma and Houston. Blazers' last home game victory was against Milwaukee Bucks back in January, and the team is mid-way through a six-game home stint, grappling with a loss of team spirit and game initiative in their clash with the Rockets.
Dalano Banton emerged among the Blazers players, establishing personal records with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, while Anfernee Simons and Keegan Murray also made significant contributions, adding 23 and 12 points respectively. However, despite these efforts and a 41% accuracy from the gameplay, Portland failed to maintain their lead in the second half, succumbing to Rockets with a score of 44:68.
The team is also facing additional hurdles with the injuries of key players - Deandre Ayton and Jeremy Grant, further complicating the quest for stability and effectiveness throughout the game.
Raptors are struggling in the wake of losing 4 out of their last 5 games and are striving to prevent a third consecutive defeat following a failure against Phoenix Suns away, with a scoreline of 113:120. Gary Trent Jr scored 30 points, RJ Barrett added 23 points, and Immanuel Quickley showcased impressive gameplay with 21 points, 18 assists, and 9 rebounds. Raptors displayed 45% shooting accuracy from the game and executed 16 out of 44 three-pointers, but challenges ensued after they conceded 39 points in the first quarter ending up 19 points down, persistently putting them on the back foot.
Entering the second game of their four-match away tour, Raptors are seeking ways to recuperate from recent failures including the loss against Suns. Trent Jr and Quickley, who demonstrated impressive outcomes after transferring from the Knicks, play pivotal roles in the lineup following the injuries to Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl.
Toronto Raptors are experiencing a lack of key players - Bruce Brown, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl will be absent tomorrow, while Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant and Scoot Henderson will be missing in action for Portland Trail Blazers. In such a circumstance, it's difficult to outrightly determine the favourite for the fixture, however, Raptors demonstrated significant resilience and a desire to compete in their last match against Phoenix Suns. This gives reasons to believe that they have everything needed to triumph over a weakened Trail Blazers squad.
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