PREMIUM
Rogers' *10* TOP TOTALS TICKET >> Won Game of the YEAR Saturday!
(NBA) Phoenix vs. Toronto,
Total: 225.00 | -105.00 Over
Result: Loss
Total: 225.00 | -105.00 Over
Result: Loss
The set-up: The 9-16 Suns rolled to a 115-101 win last night in Philadelphia, behind 46 points from star Devin Booker. Phoenix will cap its six-game road trip (2-3 so far) with a visit to the Air Canada Centre tonight in hopes of breaking even of its road trek. The Toronto Raptors look to match their season-best four-game winning streak,when Toronto won four in a row in mid-November. The Raptors are well-rested (last played on Friday) and enter having averaged 119.3 PPG during their current three-game stretch. What's more, while the Raptors have played the fewest home games of ant NBA team so far this season, they also own the league's best home mark, going 8-1.
Phoenix: The 21-year-old Booker connected on five 3-pointers and was 17-of-32 from the floor last night, establishing a season-best for points (his career high is 70). "He gets that look," Suns head coach Jay Triano told reporters afterward, "and it doesn't matter how closely you guard him, it doesn't matter who guards him - he just finds a way to create space and be electric." Booker is averaging 34.8 points over his past four games and is up to 24.5 PPG on the season. Small forward T.J. Warren checks in averaging 18.7 & 5.9 but there's a big drop-off after that. Only Greg Monroe (10.8 & 7.1) and Mike James (10.1) reach double digits among the rest of the Suns.
Toronto: The three days off in the schedule gave the Raptors some time to rest, recuperate and practice. They will be playing only their third game in eight days on Tuesday. Second-year center Jakob Poeltl missed Monday's practice but Toronto hopes to have the 7-footer after his terrific performance in the club's last game. Poeltl () flashed his potential with a career-high 18 points on 8-of-8 shooting in Friday's 120-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers - the best showing of his young career. The backcourt of DeMar DeRozan (23.4-4.3-4.7) and Kyle Lowry (16.4-6.3-7.0) lead the way with PF Ibaka (11.5 & 5.7), center Valanciunas (10.5 & 7.00 and swingman Miles (10.2) all adding solid support.
The pick: The Suns are at the end of a six-game trip and will now play their sixth game in 10 days (third game in five nights). The rested Raptors are well-aware of the Suns' tough recent schedule. "You see that," Toronto head Dwane Casey said. "We understand the schedule, how many games and the number of days. You try to watch that, but we've got to take care of who we are. This team has come in the last couple of years and beat us and at the time they weren't playing particularly well. One time we had them on a back-to-back and we didn't come in and take care of business." Phoenix road games have averaged 224.4 PPG and Toronto home games 219.0 PPG but the bottom line is, this over/number is just too high. In fact, Toronto has gone 'under" in five of its last seven games and in last year's two meetings (Suns won both!), the fianls averaged 204.0 PPG (about 20 points under this total!). Make the Under a 10* play.
Phoenix: The 21-year-old Booker connected on five 3-pointers and was 17-of-32 from the floor last night, establishing a season-best for points (his career high is 70). "He gets that look," Suns head coach Jay Triano told reporters afterward, "and it doesn't matter how closely you guard him, it doesn't matter who guards him - he just finds a way to create space and be electric." Booker is averaging 34.8 points over his past four games and is up to 24.5 PPG on the season. Small forward T.J. Warren checks in averaging 18.7 & 5.9 but there's a big drop-off after that. Only Greg Monroe (10.8 & 7.1) and Mike James (10.1) reach double digits among the rest of the Suns.
Toronto: The three days off in the schedule gave the Raptors some time to rest, recuperate and practice. They will be playing only their third game in eight days on Tuesday. Second-year center Jakob Poeltl missed Monday's practice but Toronto hopes to have the 7-footer after his terrific performance in the club's last game. Poeltl () flashed his potential with a career-high 18 points on 8-of-8 shooting in Friday's 120-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers - the best showing of his young career. The backcourt of DeMar DeRozan (23.4-4.3-4.7) and Kyle Lowry (16.4-6.3-7.0) lead the way with PF Ibaka (11.5 & 5.7), center Valanciunas (10.5 & 7.00 and swingman Miles (10.2) all adding solid support.
The pick: The Suns are at the end of a six-game trip and will now play their sixth game in 10 days (third game in five nights). The rested Raptors are well-aware of the Suns' tough recent schedule. "You see that," Toronto head Dwane Casey said. "We understand the schedule, how many games and the number of days. You try to watch that, but we've got to take care of who we are. This team has come in the last couple of years and beat us and at the time they weren't playing particularly well. One time we had them on a back-to-back and we didn't come in and take care of business." Phoenix road games have averaged 224.4 PPG and Toronto home games 219.0 PPG but the bottom line is, this over/number is just too high. In fact, Toronto has gone 'under" in five of its last seven games and in last year's two meetings (Suns won both!), the fianls averaged 204.0 PPG (about 20 points under this total!). Make the Under a 10* play.
