The view from left field

GAME #53 – TORONTO RAPTORS (29-23) at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (17–36)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022 – 8 P.M. (ET) – PAYCOM CENTER
TV: SPORTSNET – RADIO: TSN 1050 TORONTO

• The Toronto Raptors (29-23) continue a three-game road trip (Feb. 7-10) Wednesday night when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (17-36). The Raptors have won a season high-tying six straight games (Jan. 29 – Feb. 7) – tied with Boston for the longest active winning streak in the Eastern Conference. Toronto also won six in a row Dec. 31 – Jan. 9. The Raptors’ next five games (Feb. 9-16) leading into the All-Star break will all be against Western Conference opponents – Toronto is 8-9 vs. the West this season.
• Pascal Siakam has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week (Week 16: Jan. 31 – Feb. 6) for the fourth time in his career. Siakam led the Raptors to four wins in five days last week, averaging 24.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 40.1 minutes. He scored 25+ points in three-of-four games and
recorded two double-doubles. Siakam tied a season high with 33 points Feb. 4 vs. Atlanta.
• Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. scored 24 points apiece, and OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet eeach had 20, as the Raptors beat Charlotte 116-101 on Monday night for their sixth straight victory. Toronto improved to 3-1 this season when it has four 20-point scorers.
• The Raptors have won a season high-tying six straight games (Jan. 29 – Feb. 7). Toronto is averaging 118.0 points and shooting .467 (259-555) from the field, including .449 (92-205) from three-point distance, during this stretch. All five Raptors starters are averaging 15+ points over the last six and have combined to average 102.0 points – Gary Trent Jr. (26.0), Pascal Siakam (24.0), Fred VanVleet (20.5), OG Anunoby (16.2) and Scottie Barnes (15.3).
• Pascal Siakam is currently averaging 21.5 points, and career highs of 8.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists, in 39 games this season. He is one of just five players in the NBA averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, James Harden, and Nikola Jokic. Siakam has also already tallied 20+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists eight times, tying the single-season franchise record set by Chris Bosh during the 2008-09 campaign.
• Fred VanVleet has been named a reserve for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. VanVleet becomes just the eighth player in franchise history to earn an All-Star selection. He is the first undrafted player in the NBA to be named an
All-Star since Ben Wallace in 2006. VanVleet signed with Toronto as a free agent in the summer of 2016.
• Sophomore Precious Achiuwa and rookie Scottie Barnes have been selected to participate in the 2022 Rising Stars, which will be played on Friday, Feb. 18 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland as part of NBA All-Star 2022. Toronto will have two players in the showcase event for the first time since Andrea
Bargnani and Jamario Moon in 2008.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F – SCOTTIE BARNES #4

MIN: 36.1 REB: 7.8 AST: 3.4 STL: 1.0 TO: 2.0 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 14.8
• Contributed 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes Feb. 7 at Charlotte.
• Leads all rookies in minutes (36.1), ranks second in rebounds (7.8) and fourth in points (14.8).
• Has scored 20+ points in 10 games – the most by a Raptors rookie since Charlie Villanueva (12) in 2005-06.
F – OG ANUNOBY #3

MIN: 37.2 REB: 5.6 AST: 2.7 STL: 1.7 TO: 1.8 BLK: 0.6 PTS: 18.5
• Finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three steals in 38 minutes Feb. 7 at Charlotte.
• Has scored 20+ points in a single-season career-high 18 games; something he did 13 times last season.
• Averaging 19.6 points in 17 road games, compared to 17.5 points in 20 contests at home.
C – PASCAL SIAKAM #43

MIN: 37.9 REB: 8.7 AST: 5.2 STL: 1.3 TO: 2.7 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 21.5
• Recorded his team-leading 16th double-double with 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists Feb. 7 at Charlotte.
• Averaging 24.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists over the last six games (Jan. 29 – Feb. 4).
• Leads the Raptors with 16 double-doubles, including four in the last six games.
G – GARY TRENT JR. #33

MIN: 34.8 REB: 2.7 AST: 2.0 STL: 1.8 TO: 1.0 BLK: 0.3 PTS: 18.3
• Scored 24 points Feb. 7 at Charlotte; added three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 34 minutes.
• Ranks third in the NBA in steals per game (1.84) and eighth in total deflections (142).
• Averaging a team-high 24.6 points and shooting .480 (48-100) from three-point range over the last 10 games.
G – FRED VANVLEET #23

MIN: 38.6 REB: 4.7 AST: 7.1 STL: 1.7 TO: 2.7 BLK: 0.5 PTS: 21.6
• Tallied 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes of action Feb. 7 at Charlotte.
• Ranks second in the NBA in total deflections (183), second in three-pointers (185) and sixth in steals (78).
• Has scored 20+ points in four consecutive games (Feb. 1-7), averaging 22.0 points during this streak.

INJURY REPORT
Isaac Bonga (G League – On Assignment ) – Out
Justin Champagnie (G League – Two-Way) – Out
Goran Dragic (NWT) – Out
David Johnson (G League – Two-Way) – Out

2021-22 RECORDS
W-L EAST WEST
OVERALL 29-23 21-14 8-9
HOME 16-12 10-7 6-5
AWAY 13-11 11-7 2-4
OVERTIME 2-1 2-1 0-0

NEXT GAME DETAILS
Opponent: Houston Rockets
Date: Thursday, February 10
Tip-Off: 8 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Toyota Center
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 590 The FAN
SERIES RECAP VS. HOUSTON
OVERALL HOME ROAD
2020-21 1-1 1-0 0-1
ALL-TIME 21-29 16-9 5-20
STREAKS Lost 1 Won 1 Lost 2
LAST WIN: Feb. 26, 2021 (122-111)
LAST ROAD WIN: Nov. 14, 2017 (129-113)
LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY: +21 (Jan. 2, 2009)
LARGEST MARGIN OF DEFEAT: -30 (Nov. 20, 1997)
LAST TIME VS. HOUSTON
GAME 43 – MARCH 22, 2021
HOUSTON 117, TORONTO 99
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets ended their 20-game losing streak,
as John Wall had his first triple-double in five years in a 117-99 victory
over the Toronto Raptors … Houston’s skid was tied for the ninth-worst in
NBA history and the longest since Philadelphia’s record-setting, 28-game
losing streak across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons … But Wall had
19 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds, his first triple-double since Feb. 5,
2016 … That helped the Rockets got their first win since Feb. 4 … Houston also handed the Raptors their ninth straight loss, which now represents the NBA’s longest active losing streak … All five Houston starters
scored in double figures by midway through the third quarter … Jae’Sean
Tate had 22 points, Sterling Brown added 20, Christian Wood scored 19
and Danuel House Jr. added 12 … Houston closed out the third quarter
with an 88-86 lead and opened the fourth quarter on a 9-1 run to pull
away … The Rockets led 65-60 at halftime after a 51-footer at the buzzer
by House, who heaved the shot from well behind the half-court line near
the Raptors bench on the sideline … Fred VanVleet led Toronto with 27
points … Pascal Siakam scored 21 points, Normal Powell had 19 and
Kyle Lowry added 17 … Brown made his first five shots, including three
3s, for 13 first-quarter points … He finished 7 of 10 and 4 of 7 from 3 …
The Raptors led 28-27 at the end of the first quarter … DeAndre’ Bembry
was ejected from the game after receiving two back-to-back technical
fouls in the fourth quarter.
1 2 3 4 TOT
TORONTO 28 32 26 13 99
HOUSTON 27 38 23 29 117