The Toronto Raptors will try to cut-off the league leader Indiana Pacers twice in one week, according to ESPN.
The Raptors will play Tuesday night, January 7, in Indiana territory that has lost just once in this season.
The Pacers lost only once in their last eight games with Toronto beating them with 95-82 on New Year's Day. The Pacers winning streak is part of season-high five-game victories, but was later stomped by Miami on Sunday with a final score of 102-97 loss.
"It's no difference to us," DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors' leading scorer, told ESPN. "We understand we have to prepare for Indiana either way (Monday), either if we were here or there. We understand what's up. It really doesn't matter."
Toronto hopes to beat the Pacers again just like what they did in the first game. The Raptors' defense forced the Pacers to commit the season's highest rate of 23 turnovers plus the Pacers' lowest ever recorded total points. Indiana's Paul George only scored 12 in the game.
"We're going to go out there and battle with the best of them," DeRozan said after their game with the Pacers. "We don't care who is out there in front of us, we understand that they are going to throw a punch and we're going to throw punches back."
After losing to Toronto, Indiana won back-to-back contest and had to overcome its subpar performance against Cleveland last Sunday in which it shot a season-worst 36.4 percent and almost blew a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Cavs. The final score was 82-78.
"There was no style points tonight. None. Zero. I can assure you of that. Unless you like defense. Our defense was pretty strong most of the night," coach Frank Vogel said referring to the match.
Toronto, though, has won seven of nine away from home and 10 of 14 overall.
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