Atlanta Hawks vs Toronto Raptors: Lineups, preview & prediction 3/6/18


Toronto (45-17) have won four straight and 11 of their last 12 after a 103-98 win Sunday night over Charlotte to sweep the season series. The Raptors lead the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference, and that status is partially because they have not overlooked lesser teams.

The Raptors have won 13 straight against teams with sub-.500 records since a 98-93 loss at Dallas on December 26. Two of the victories in that run have come over Atlanta, with both wins coming by double-digit margins. Toronto have won the three games between the teams by a combined 62 points and are seeking their first four-game sweep of the series since the 2001/02 season.

Atlanta (20-44) are trying to claw their way out of the Southeast Division cellar and salvaged a split of their four-game home stand with a 113-112 victory over Phoenix on Sunday night. Taurean Prince made six of eight from 3-point range and finished with 22 points as the Hawks connected on a season high-tying 17 3-pointers while also matching a season best hitting 51.5 percent of their long-range attempts.

The road, though, has not been kind to the Hawks, who have lost four straight outside Atlanta and are 5-25 overall. They have lost seven of their last nine north of the border, giving up 107.4 points per game while being outscored by 9.9 per game in that span.

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