OGT Apr 8: Raptors (45-32) @ Hornets (33-44)

[Legends66NBA7]

Game Preview: http://mi.nba.com/preview/#!/0021401160

The*Toronto Raptors*have already punched their ticket to the postseason, but being without*Kyle Lowry*has them sputtering down the stretch.

It's an absence the*Charlotte Hornets*desperately need to exploit.

The Raptors expect to again be missing Lowry on Wednesday night when they visit a Hornets team that likely can't afford a third loss in four games if it hopes to continue its playoff push.

Lowry has missed eight of nine games since March 20 with a back injury. Coach Dwane Casey has turned to*Greivis Vasquez to run the point, but the veteran has averaged just 7.4 points and 4.3 assists while shooting 35.9 percent in the past five games.

"I think sometimes we look just at the shooting, but Greivis' heart is always in the right place," Casey said. "Sometime he takes shots that you roll your eyes at, but again, it's from him trying to help the team and not from a selfish standpoint."

Lou Williams has been significantly better under the increased workload. He scored 23 points in Friday's 114-109 loss to Brooklyn, then tallied 27 in a 117-116 overtime loss to Boston on Saturday.

Casey hopes to have his roster at full strength by season's end, but is currently focused on his team's poor defensive play. The Raptors allowed an average of 92.7 points during a three-game winning streak from March 27-April 1, but have ceded 115.5 points per game in their last two.

Toronto has surrendered an average of 112.4 points during its 10 losses since the beginning of March. It's a game behind Chicago for the third spot in the Eastern Conference and just one ahead of Washington for home-court advantage in the first round.

"We've been working defensively. We worked on rebounding, boxing out, guarding your man, rotations, everything -- a mini-training camp," Casey said. "We're not going to change and become a defensive juggernaut overnight, but if we can get incrementally better in different areas, that will help us."

Toronto has dropped both matchups with the Hornets (33-44) this season and six straight overall in the series after falling 103-94 in Charlotte on March 6.*Al Jefferson*and*Mo Williams*each had 23 points as the Hornets overcame 30 from*DeMar DeRozan.

The Hornets need a similar performance Wednesday to maintain any plausible chance of a playoff berth after losing 105-100 to Miami on Tuesday. They now sit in 11th place, behind both Indiana and Miami and two games back of eighth-seeded Boston with only five to play.

"(Tuesday) was a big game,"*Gerald Henderson*said. "We've played all the teams that are in the mix there with us and we lost to them all. It's never good."

Henderson scored 29 points, but the Hornets were unable to overcome the absence of Jefferson, who missed his second consecutive game with a sore right knee. Jefferson will miss Wednesday's game as well.

"Like most teams, we had a busy March. We played 17 games in 30 days and he didn't want to sit out," coach Steve Clifford said. "So I think it just progressively got worse. Now he's trying to rest it and see if he can go maybe this weekend."

The Hornets close their season in Toronto a week from Wednesday.

[Kungfro]

Brutal, Val having a great start and now he has to go out on a lame call.

[JebronLames]

Need raptors to get that third seed. Then, Cavs will start the playoffs 8-0.

[Kungfro]

Another "great" start from Ross. It's gonna be painful watching him in the playoffs again this year.

[Legends66NBA7]

Hansbrough should have gotten a call there. He's been very good drawing fouls this season in his limited action.

[Kungfro]

While that was a terrible call, I feel like Casey probably should have waited till the second to bring Val back in.

[Legends66NBA7]

While that was a terrible call, I feel like Casey probably should have waited till the second to bring Val back in.

I think that was part of Casey's plan.

[Kungfro]

Hansbrough everywhere on the defensive end this game.

[Kungfro]

Was not expecting this kind of beat down, especially with Charlotte still fighting for a playoff spot.

[Legends66NBA7]

While the Hornets are very under manned right now and struggle to score even at full strength, but the Raptors have played hard on defense tonight.

[Legends66NBA7]

Was not expecting this kind of beat down, especially with Charlotte still fighting for a playoff spot.

They are down bodies and coming off a tight back to back game vs Miami.

Still, watching the game, the Raps are locked in defensively. Love what Hansbrough is doing out there, my performer of the game.

[JebronLames]

and the bulls lose!

[SugarHill]

these dudes really had 35 points halfway through the third