Siakam, Trent Jr. lead Raptors past Hornets for 6th straight win
Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby chip in with 20 points each
The Toronto Raptors keep on rolling, and the Charlotte Hornets keep on floundering.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 24 points, and Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby each had 20 points for the Raptors, who began a stretch of eight of nine games on the road with a convincing win. Scottie Barnes added 15 points as the Raptors' starters accounted for all but 13 points.
Siakam, the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week, set the tone in the first half, shooting 6 of 9 from the floor for 14 points with six rebounds and five assists as the Raptors opened a 23-point lead.
"It has been a rough couple of years, but I feel healthy right now," Siakam said. "My shoulder is feeling better, my body is feeling good. So just physically and mentally being in a good place."
Miles Bridges scored 25 points to lead the Hornets, who lost their fifth consecutive game. Charlotte struggled through yet another poor offensive performance, shooting 41.1% from the field and 22.5% from 3-point range.
LaMelo Ball, named as an All-Star game replacement a few hours before the game, finished with 15 points and nine assists for the Hornets.
"We just have to start finding that rhythm offensively," Hornets coach James Borrego said. "The 3-ball has dried up obviously, but that is okay. It will come back to us. Until then we have to find our offence through our defence."
The win moved the Raptors (29-23) into sixth place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the slumping Brooklyn Nets, who have lost eight straight.
Siakam is a big reason for the Raptors' surge.
"For a while there it just seemed like it didn't seem to be a go-to move for him anymore," Nurse said. "I think a lot of it now has to do with mindset, energy and the spacing on the floor."
That included one in the second quarter when Siakam took Bridges off the dribble and found himself at the basket in a flash for an easy, uncontested score.
"There are some games where I know the spin move is going to be there, and some games it won't," Siakam said.
Charlotte struggled throughout with the Raptors' length, turning the ball over nine times in the first half, leading to 14 Toronto points.
