Who's Playing
Matchup: Toronto Raptors vs. San Antonio Spurs
Records: Raptors (43-16); Spurs (33-26)
Where To Watch
Date: Feb. 22
Time: 7:00 p.m.
TV: TSN 1/3/4
Radio: TSN Radio 1050 Toronto
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Game Preview
On Friday, DeMar DeRozan returns to Toronto for the first time since the Raptors traded him to the Spurs in the offseason.
In his first season with the Spurs, DeRozan is averaging 21.4 points, 6.1 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. His scoring has dropped since last season, but the assists and rebounds are the highest marks of his career.
DeRozan took over as San Antonio's primary playmaker when Dejounte Murray went down with a season-ending knee injury in preseason. He's already dished out 10 or more assists in four games in a Spurs uniform after doing so a combined three times in his nine seasons with the Raptors.
MORE: Masai Ujiri talks DeRozan's return
Despite those numbers, it was LaMarcus Aldridge who represented the Spurs in the 2019 NBA All-Star Game. Aldridge has been their leading scorer with 23.1 points per game since Dec. 7, when they started to turn their season around.
The Spurs have also gotten a boost from Rudy Gay, Davis Bertans, Bryn Forbes, Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli during that stretch. Whereas Gay is playing the most efficient basketball of his career as a tertiary scorer, Bertans, Forbes, Mills and Belinelli have each been good for at least 2.0 made 3-pointers per game over the last three months.
That's been huge for a Spurs team that ranks 29th in 3-point attempts per game on the season.
Game Notes
The Raptors entered the All-Star break having won six consecutive games, the longest win streak currently in the NBA.
Pascal Siakam has taken his game to another level in the month of February with averages of 22.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He scored a career-best 44 points in a win over the Washington Wizards in Toronto's last game before All-Star weekend.
Jeremy Lin made his debut with the Raptors in their win over the Wizards. He finished with eight points and five assists in 25 minutes of action.
MORE: Breaking down Raptors' remaining schedule
In the first matchup between the Raptors and Spurs this season, DeMar DeRozan recorded his first career triple-double. In 33 minutes, the four-time All-Star scored 21 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out 11 assists.
The Spurs are 6-4 over their last 10 games. They're coming off of a one-point win over the Memphis Grizzlies that snapped a four-game losing streak.
The Spurs currently have the seventh-best record in the Western Conference. There are only three games separating them from the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 10 in the standings.
Last Time They Played
Date: Jan. 3, 2019
Score: Raptors 107, Spurs 125
Raptors: Kawhi Leonard — 21 points, five assists, two steals and one rebound
Spurs: DeMar DeRozan — 21 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists and two steals