Raptors look to right the ship against Grizzlies on TSN
Published
The Toronto Raptors look to get back on track when they play host to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night to open a short two-game homestand.
Watch the game LIVE on TSN4/5, TSN.ca and the TSN App at 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT. Bell 5G customers can also control the action on their smartphones with TSN 5G View.
Toronto has lost six of their last seven contests, with the latest coming at the hands of the New York Knicks on Saturday night. R.J. Barrett led the Raptors in scoring with 20 points in his return to Madison Square Garden for the first time since being traded alongside Immanuel Quickley on Dec. 30.
"It was amazing. Thank you to the fans, for sure. We got a tribute video, I didn't think we were going to get that, but that was cool," said Barrett, following the 126-100 loss. "I am very appreciative of my time here. To come back, I had a lot of emotions for sure."
Toronto's record moved to 16-27 on the year, currently occupying the 12th seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference. They have yet to defeat a team from the Atlantic Division this season.
But Barrett and the Raptors can sweep the season series against Memphis with a win over the injury-riddled Grizzles on Monday night. In their last meeting, Quickley led the way with 26 points and five assists in the 116-111 win on Jan. 3.
The Grizzlies (15-27, 13th in the Western Conference) come into the game with just one win in their last five games, most recently losing to the Chicago Bulls in a 125-96 blowout on Saturday night.
Jaren Jackson Jr. posted 26 points in the losing effort, leading his team in scoring for the third time in their last five contests . The former fourth overall pick has averaged 21.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.7 blocks across 40 games played this season. He will have to continue carrying the load for Memphis as they come into Monday's matchup without three of their top four scorers.
Earlier this month, the Grizzlies announced that they would be without star guard Ja Morant for the remainder of the season after he underwent shoulder surgery. Memphis is 9-24 without the Murray State product this year, who made his season debut on Dec. 19 after serving an unprecedented 25-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league.
Desmond Bane (ankle), Marcus Smart (finger), Canadian Brandon Clarke (Achilles), Steven Adams (knee), Derrick Rose (thigh), and Jake LaRavia (ankle) will all miss tonight's game against the Raptors. Xavier Tillman (knee) is listed as questionable.
For Toronto, Jakob Poeltl is the only player on the team's injury report as the Austrian centre remains out indefinitely with an ankle injury.