• The Toronto Raptors (14-17) continue a four-game homestand (Dec. 28 – Jan. 4) Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers (18-17) at Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors have lost four in a row to the Clippers. Toronto is 5-4 in December after Philadelphia hung on to beat the Raptors 114-109 on Tuesday. Toronto
has had three games postponed this month: Dec. 16 vs. CHI, Dec. 20 vs. ORL and Dec. 22 at CHI.
• Chris Boucher scored a season-high 28 points (10-14 FG, 5-7 3PT, 3-4 FT) and matched a career-best with 19 rebounds in 38 minutes Dec. 28 vs. Philadelphia. Boucher became just the second player in franchise history to record 25+ points and 15+ rebounds with five made threes, joining Donyell Marshall (Apr. 13, 2004 vs. Detroit).
• Chris Boucher has scored 10+ points in seven of the last eight games (Dec. 5-28), including 20+ in each of the last two (Dec. 26-28). He is averaging 15.6 points and shooting .529 (45-85) from the field during this stretch. Boucher scored in double figures four times in his first 21 games of the season.
• Gary Trent Jr. (108) and Fred VanVleet (103) currently rank second and third, respectively, in the NBA in total deflections. Trent Jr. also leads the league in steals (2.18) and has recorded multiple steals in 19 games, while VanVleet has led the NBA in deflections per game each of the past two seasons. The Raptors lead the NBA in deflections per game (18.9) and rank third in steals (9.2) this season.
• Rookie Scottie Barnes has scored in double figures in 12 straight games played (Nov. 21 – Dec. 18). Barnes is averaging 16.5 points and shooting .497 (76-153) from the floor, including .413 (19-46) from beyond the arc, during this streak. He has missed the last two games (Dec. 26-28) due to health and safety protocols. Barnes (15.6) is currently second among rookies in scoring behind Franz Wagner (15.8)
• Fred VanVleet is one of just six players in the NBA averaging 20+ points, 6+ assists and 5+ rebounds this season, along with Luka Doncic, James Harden, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Ja Morant.
• Yuta Watanabe has score in double digits in four of the last five games (Dec. 13-28) with two double-doubles. Watanabe set career highs with 26 points and 13 rebounds Dec. 26 at Cleveland. Over the last five games, Watanabe is averaging 13.0 points and shooting 51 percent (25-49) from the field.
• The Raptors have been without OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Fred VanVleet for the last two games (Dec. 26-28) due to health and safety protocols. The trio accounts 39% of Toronto’s scoring this season.
• Clippers forward-centre Serge Ibaka returns to Toronto for the first time since Feb. 25, 2020. Ibaka played three-plus season with the Raptors, averaging 14.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in 228 games. He also helped
Toronto win its first NBA championship in 2019.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F – OG ANUNOBY #3
MIN: 36.7 REB: 5.3 AST: 2.7 STL: 1.5 TO: 1.6 BLK: 0.6 PTS: 19.3
• Sat out the last two games (Dec. 26-28) due to health and safety protocols.
• Has missed 15 of the last 16 games after sitting out 13 in a row (Nov. 18 – Dec. 14) with a left hip pointer.
• Recorded seven points and three rebounds in 28 minutes in his lone game this month Dec. 18 vs. Golden State.
F – SCOTTIE BARNES #4
MIN: 36.0 REB: 8.3 AST: 3.4 STL: 1.1 TO: 1.9 BLK: 1.0 PTS: 15.6
• Missed the last two games (Dec. 26-28) due to health and safety protocols.
• Leads all rookies in rebounds (8.3) and minutes (36.0), ranks second in scoring (15.6) and third in FG% (.494).
• Has scored 20+ points in each of his last two games played (Dec. 14-18), averaging 22.0 points.
C – PASCAL SIAKAM #43
MIN: 34.9 REB: 7.5 AST: 3.9 STL: 0.7 TO: 2.2 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 19.6
• Recorded 28 points, six rebounds and a season-high eight assists in 42 minutes Dec. 28 vs. Philadelphia.
• Averaging 22.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in seven games in December.
• Has scored 20+ points in six of his last eight games played (Nov. 30 – Dec. 28), averaging 22.0 points.
G – GARY TRENT JR. #33
MIN: 34.8 REB: 3.0 AST: 2.2 STL: 2.2 TO: 1.0 BLK: 0.3 PTS: 16.9
• Contributed 19 points, a career-high seven assists and two steals in 41 minutes Dec. 28 vs. Philadelphia.
• Leads the NBA in steals per game (2.18); has recorded multiple steals in 19 games.
• Averaging 15.8 points and shooting .391 (25-64) from three-point range through eight games in December.
G – FRED VANVLEET #23
MIN: 37.9 REB: 5.1 AST: 6.7 STL: 1.6 TO: 3.0 BLK: 0.6 PTS: 20.1
• Missed the last two games (Dec. 26-28) due to health and safety protocols.
• Leads the NBA in minutes per game (37.9), has logged 40+ minutes seven times.
• Has scored in double digits in all 28 of his games played this season, including 20+ points 12 times.
INJURY REPORT
Precious Achiuwa (Return To Competition Reconditioning) – Probable
Khem Birch (Return To Competition Reconditioning) – Probable
Isaac Bonga (Health and Safety Protocols) – Out
Justin Champagnie (Health and Safety Protocols) – Out
Goran Dragic (NWT) – Out
David Johnson (Left Calf; Strain) – Out
CLIPPERS’ PREVIOUS GAME STARTERS
• DYNAMIC DEFENSE: On 11/5 at Minnesota, the Clippers allowed just 27 points in the second quarter. It was tied for the fourth-least amount of points
allowed in a second half in franchise history. The last time the Clippers allowed 27 points-or-less in a second half was when they allowed 25 on 4/16/12 vs.
Oklahoma City. LAC ranks fourth in defensive rating (105.5), fifth in opponent points allowed (104.6) and tied for seventh in opponent FG% (44.1).
• CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARD: On 11/13 vs. Minnesota, with his 1,799th career three-pointer, Paul George passed Klay Thompson for sole possession of 20th place on the NBA’s all-time three-point field goal list. On 11/14 vs. Chicago, George made his 368th career three-pointer as a Clippers, which
passed Corey Maggette for sole possession of sixth place on the Clippers all-time three-point field goal list. On 12/20 vs. San Antonio, George made his
1,828th career three to pass Kobe Bryant for sole possession of 19th place on the NBA’s all-time three-point field goal list. On 12/22 at Sacramento, George
made his 1,831st career three to pass Chauncey Billups for sole possession of 18th place on the NBA’s all-time three-point field goal list.
• THE ROOK: On 12/8 vs. Boston, Brandon Boston Jr. scored 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Boston
Jr. joined Eric Bledsoe and Lamar Odom as the only players in franchise history to score at least 27 points at age 20 or younger.
• PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Paul George was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for week three (Nov. 1-7). During the week, George led
the Clippers to a 4-0 record and held averages of 26.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals. It’s George’s 10th player of the week recognition
and second as a member of the Clippers. During the month of November, George scored 406 points, with 114 rebounds and 89 assists. George joins Bob
Kaufman (Dec. 1970) as the only two players in franchise history with at least 400 points, 100 rebounds and 80 assists in a calendar month.
• WINNING STREAK: The Clippers were on a seven-game winning streak from 11/1 – 11/13. During the winning streak, the Clippers ranked second in the
NBA in plus/minus differential (12.6) and net rating (11.5), third in points (115.3) and rebounds (48.7) and fifth in 3P% (39.5).
• MOMENTUM SWING: On 11/5 at Minnesota, the Clippers became just the fourth team in the last 25 seasons to trail by 20 and then win the game by 20.
• FROM THREE: On 11/3 at Minnesota, the Clippers were 21-for-36 (58.3%) from three. It’s just the 13th time in NBA history that a team has shot better
than 58% from three (min. 35 attempts). In the third quarter alone the Clippers were 9-for-11 (81.8%) from three which was the highest 3P% (min. 10 attempts) in a single quarter in franchise history. Including the postseason, it was just the 13th time in franchise history that the Clippers have made at least 20
threes.
• PG: On 10/23 vs. Memphis, George had his 28th game as a Clipper with at least five three-pointers made, which tied J.J. Redick for the most such games
in franchise history. George also had his sixth career game with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds and became the first Clipper since Blake Griffin on
2/26/17 vs. Charlotte to post a stat line of at least 41 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. On 10/25 vs. Portland, George had a career-high eight steals.
He’s the first starter to have at least eight steals while playing 27 minutes or less since Michael Jordan on 4/20/93. On 10/29 at Portland, George had his
29th game as a Clipper with at least five three-pointers made, which surpassed J.J. Redick for the most such games in franchise history. Through the Clippers first seven games this season, George scored 202 points which is the fourth-most points scored through the first seven games in franchise history and
the most since World B. Free scored 243 points during the 1979-80 season.
• TURNOVERS: On 10/25 vs. Portland, the Clippers had 21 steals and forced 30 turnovers. Since 1983-84, it’s tied for the second-most steals in franchise
history and the most steals since the Clippers had 21 on 11/8/91 vs. Denver. It was just the eighth game since 1983-84 that the Clippers forced at least 30
turnovers, and it was the most opponent turnovers since the Clippers forced 32 on 11/8/96 vs. New York.
• CONTINUING TO BUILD: LA at 517-302 (.631) have the NBA’s third-best regular season record since the start of the 2011-12 season. On 4/11 vs. Detroit, the Clippers extended a franchise record of securing a record above .500 to 10 consecutive seasons which is the longest active streak in the NBA. On
4/18 vs. Minnesota, the Clippers secured their 40th win of the season. It is the 10th-straight season that the Clippers have had at least 40 wins which is the
longest current streak in the NBA
BEST RECORD IN THE NBA (Since 2011-12)
- Golden State Warriors 525-287 (.647)
- San Antonio Spurs 526-290 (.645)
- LA Clippers 517-302 (.631)
- Oklahoma City Thunder 488-330 (.597)
- Miami Heat 480-339 (.586)
• KAWHI: Kawhi Leonard is the winningest player in NBA regular-season history with a 429-147 (.745) record.
The view from left field 