Powell nearing return to Raptors’ lineup
Norm Powell has been sidelined for 20 Toronto Raptors games this season with two different injuries.
But the toughest to watch was Tuesday’s 108-97 to the leagueleading Milwaukee Bucks.
“After a while it gets a little frustrating and you get a little anxious there to get out there and play, especially when you’re watching games like that — the Milwaukee one . . . you just want to get out there and go to war with your team,” Powell said.
Powell, who fractured a finger on his non-shooting hand on Jan. 31 in Detroit, was finally cleared to practise on Thursday, and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game versus the visiting Charlotte Hornets.
“You can say there’s a chance (he’ll play),” coach Nick Nurse said.
Marc Gasol remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, but was able to do some light work at practice Thursday.
“So he’s making progress, but he’s still out,” Nurse said.
Meanwhile, centre Serge Ibaka has been ruled as questionable for tonight’s game with right knee soreness. Ibaka missed 10 games with an ankle injury earlier this season, and another with flu-like symptoms earlier this month.
Ibaka has been excellent this season but struggled in the loss to Milwaukee, shooting an abysmal 2-of-15.
The Raptors boast the thirdbest record in the league (42-16) despite missing several key player for large chunks of the season. And Powell will be a welcome addition ahead of a tough five-game road trip that begins Sunday in Denver. They’ll play at Phoenix, Golden State, Sacramento and Utah before returning home.
Powell, who’d been playing some of the most consistent basketball of his career before the injury, said he’d been pushing the Raptors’ medical staff to let him play virtually “since I got hurt.”
“Just to wrap it or whatever to get me back out there,” Powell said. “But they’ve always told me to calm down and trust them in what they do so I’m not gonna force their hand and try to get them to get me out there unless I’m ready to go.”
Powell said he was fortunate that it was a finger injury, so he’s been able to do plenty of cardio work in his time away. He’s also studied a ton of game film.
Powell is averaging career highs of 15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 28.2 minutes this season, and has started in 17 games. He’s scored 20 or more points 12 times, including a career-high 33 points at Orlando on Nov. 29. He’s led the bench in scoring 12 times.