Charlotte @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 5, 2019 ) Toronto 111, Charlotte 113

The Toronto Raptors stumbled a bit at the end of a five-game road trip but get seven of the next nine at home to turn things around. The Raptors will begin that stretch on Monday by hosting the Charlotte Hornets, who are winners of two straight.

Toronto sandwiched a win over Portland between losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks to finish off the road trip and was held to 42 points in the second half of Saturday's 110-102 setback. "They are a good team and they played some good defense but I think at stretches we kind of found ourselves in a little mud and I think that had to do with the long road trip," Raptors guard Norman Powell told reporters after falling in Dallas on Saturday. "Guys were ready to get home, but I think we stayed with it and fought to the end." Toronto will have to come up with a defensive plan to stop Hornets guard Devonte' Graham, who buried a career-high nine 3-pointers, including a buzzer-beater, in a 103-102 victory over New York on Saturday. "We've been a resilient group all year," Charlotte coach James Borrego told reporters after watching Graham cap a 15-point comeback. "They just believe in each other, trust each other, trust what we're doing. We've been in every game and finding ways to execute down the stretch is key in this league. You've got to find different ways to win and I'm really proud of our guys."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Charlotte), Sportsnet One (Toronto)

ABOUT THE HORNETS (6-7): Graham leads Charlotte in scoring (18.8 points) despite beginning the season as a reserve and went 9-of-16 from beyond the arc on Saturday after knocking down just 2-of-12 in a win over Detroit the previous night. "(Rookie forward) PJ (Washington) told me last night I couldn't shoot because I went 2-of-12," Graham said after the win, according to the team's website. "I had to come back tonight and prove him wrong. I need to shoot like that every game. It motivated me for sure. We just have to try and keep it going, ride the wave, get better and hopefully get another (win) next game." Washington added 19 points on Saturday - his highest total in eight games this month.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (8-4): Toronto has yet to lose at home and is hoping for a return to form from forward Pascal Siakam, who slumped to 15 points on 6-of-24 shooting, including 2-of-10 from beyond the arc, in Friday's setback. Siakam is carrying a bigger load with Serge Ibaka (ankle) and Kyle Lowry (thumb) out for the next few weeks and averages 26.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists in a breakout season. Powell picked up some of the slack for Siakam on Saturday with a season-high 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Raptors C Marc Gasol is 7-of-25 from the floor over the last three games.

2. Hornets SF Miles Bridges went scoreless on 0-of-8 shooting Saturday and is shooting 32.8 percent from the floor in six road games.

3. Charlotte took two of the three meetings last season, including a 115-114 triumph in Toronto on March 24.

PREDICTION: Raptors 103, Hornets 99