Over his next nine games, including that NBA Cup performance, Hart averaged 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.8 steals in 34.3 minutes per game. He shot 55.3% from the field (45% from deep) with a 65% effective field goal rate. His defensive rating also improved to 113.7, and his Player Impact Estimate was up to 14.6.

It wouldn’t be a Sunday afternoon in the NBA without a little heart-stopping drama, right? For a while there, it looked like the Boston Celtics were going to cruise to an easy victory at Scotiabank Arena.

This will be their first of four matchups against the Boston Celtics this season. In 116 total games against each other, the record sits 73-43 in Boston’s favour. The Celtics have won 11 of the last 12 as well.

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks travel to play the New York Knicks in an NBA Cup in-season tournament group play matchup. The Raptors are 13-6 in Eastern Conference games. Toronto ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference with 53.8 points per game in the paint led by Scottie Barnes averaging 10.5.

It turned out to be an unexpectedly memorable matchup when the Charlotte Hornets last met the Toronto Raptors on November 29th at Spectrum Center. Admittedly, not for the first three quarters, when it seemed like the highly favored Raptors would take home an easy win.

The Lakers and Raptors clash on Thursday at ScotiaBank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, with tip-off at 7:20 p.m. ET.

Rui Hachimura made a 3-pointer off a pass from LeBron James as time expired to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 123-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.

Redick complimented the work ethic and skills of Brandon Ingram, with whom he played over his final two seasons in New Orleans. He spoke about how comfortable Ingram has looked in the midrange with the Toronto Raptors, after talk of turning him into a high-volume 3-point shooter waxed and waned during his time in Louisiana.