Toronto Raptors vs. New Orleans Pelicans: Two teams with identical records go head-to-head

There are many talented players in this matchup between the Toronto Raptors and the New Orleans Pelicans. Unfortunately, many of them will be watching the game just like the rest of us, as the injury bug — which swept through the Raptors’ roster — is also wreaking havoc on the Pelicans.

While the Raptors are in a rebuilding phase and focused more on player development than clinching a playoff spot, the Pelicans entered the year with postseason expectations coming off a 49-win campaign. However, as we approach the month of December, both teams have identical 4-14 records. Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones have all missed extended periods due to injury, and New Orleans has lost 11 of their last 12. In a stacked West that currently has 10 teams over .500, the The Pelicans can only withstand so many losses before this becomes a losing season.

They will look to snap their losing streak tonight at the Smoothie King Center against the Raptors, who are currently 0-10 on the road – the only team without a road win this year. Here are the details for tonight’s match.

Where to see:

TSN, at 20 EST

Lineups:

Toronto: Davion Mitchell, RJ Barrett, Ochai Agbaji, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

New Orleans: Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Javonte Green, Trey Murphy III, Daniel Theis

Injuries:

Toronto: Gradey Dick – calf (OUT), Immanuel Quickley – elbow (OUT), Bruce Brown – knee/conditioning (OUT), Kelly Olynyk – back (OUT), DJ Carton – ankle (OUT)

New Orleans: Zion Williamson – Hamstring (OUT), Jose Alvarado – Hamstring (OUT), Brandon Ingram – Calf (Doubtful), Trey Murphy III – Knee (Doubtful), Herbert Jones – Shoulder (Doubtful), Jordan Hawkins – Back (Doubtful ) ), Dejounte Murray — hand (probable)

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Bespectacled Scottie

The Raptors lost on another buzzer beater Detroit Pistons on Monday. But while the result was disappointing, Scottie Barnes was a big bright spot, putting up 31 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists with just one turnover. Barnes has looked good in the three games since returning from his facial injury, but Monday’s game was a real return to form. He had scored 17 and 18 points in his first two games back, on 11 and 14 field goal attempts — on Monday, he shot 12-for-26. Look for Barnes to assert himself in a game where the Pelicans are missing a top defender in Herb Jones.

A key player will (probably) return

Back in June, the Pelicans made a big move to pry Dejounte Murray away Atlanta Hawks. But Murray has only played 30 minutes as a Pelican since suffering a broken hand in the season opener. Now, after missing more than a month, Murray is expected to return (although fans will have to wait a while longer to see him paired with Zion Williamson). Murray averaged over 22 points, five rebounds and six assists on the Hawks last year. Tonight, he will be on a minute restriction while also battling the rust that has accumulated during his absence. Still, his insertion into the lineup should be a breath of fresh air for a rundown, floundering New Orleans team.

Some close calls

The Raptors may be 4-14, but their 4-14 feels a lot different than the Pelicans’ 4-14. This is demonstrated quite clearly by their respective point differences: the Raptors are -5.7, the Pelicans -11. Also, nearly all of the Raptors’ losses have been winnable games, two of which were lost on buzzer beaters. This tweet from TSN’s Keerthika Uthayakumar pretty much says all you need to know: