When the Toronto Raptors square off against the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday night, power forward – and avowed movie buff – Patrick Patterson is going to have someone near the bench filling him in on the Oscars.

“Most likely I’m going to have someone behind the bench with a phone who can give me live updates,” he joked during a recent afternoon practice.

“I may give one of the staff members my phone so that every single time I’m on the bench, whether it’s during a time out or I’m not in the game they can tell me what is going on. But most likely, someone is going to be feeding me information.”

When he’s not on the court, Patterson is usually at the movies (look for him at Yonge-Dundas or Scotiabank).

He also hosts monthly movie nights at Cineplex theatres (his next #PatPresents is a screening of Logan on March 15th).

Ahead of Sunday night’s Academy Awards broadcast, Patterson sat down with the Sun to give us his Oscar picks.

We know you were a big fan of Fences, Moonlight, Arrival and La La Land, and they are all among the nominees, so which of them are you picking to win Best Picture?

The fanboy in me wants Fences to win. I’m a big Denzel Washington fan and it’s a phenomenal movie; I saw it three times. But the realist in me is leaning more towards La La Land. I really want to say Fences, and I’m hoping for Fences. If Fences wins, I’m going to be happy and proud, but I’m going to go with La La Land.

Last year, you nailed the Best Actor category when you selected Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant. Who do you think is winning it this year?

I’m going to go with Ryan Gosling for La La Land. I’m not a fan of musicals, but the thing is, everybody loved that movie. Everyone talks about that movie. It got a tremendous reception at TIFF. With all the hype, especially for Gosling, why go against it?

So then are you choosing Ryan’s co-star Emma Stone for Best Actress?

I’m going against Emma Stone and picking Ruth Negga for Loving. I haven’t seen it, but my mom saw it and she was raving about it and she’s pretty much just as big a movie fanatic as I am. If she says Ruth was great then I’m going to take her word and go with that.

We know you loved Nocturnal Animals and Michael Shannon is up for a Best Supporting Actor nod. Is he the one to beat?

I loved Nocturnal Animals; I saw it five times. But I just can’t see a Tom Ford movie, for all he’s accomplished outside of the movies, winning something. This one is a tough one for me, but I got to pick someone, so I’m going with Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water.

How about Best Supporting Actress?

You don’t even need to name the nominees; Viola Davis, Fences. I haven’t cried in a movie in a very long time, but that scene where her and Denzel are going at it outside in the back and she starts crying and you see Denzel’s face and he’s thinking, ‘What did I do to this woman? How could I have done this to her?’ I started crying right then and there. And then at the end, I cried again. I haven’t cried at a movie in a long time. I mean, I’m not saying I was bawling, but tears did come out of my eyes. If she does not win then I might pull a Kanye West, when he got on stage and interrupted Taylor Swift for winning that award. I’ll figure out a way to do that because Viola Davis’ performance in that movie was out of this world.

You loved Finding Dory and it’s not nominated in the Best Animated Film category. So who do you have winning there?

I feel like it’s going to be the Zucchini movie (My Life as a Zucchini), but Moana was great. That movie brought joy. You couldn’t help but to laugh and giggle and pretty much be a 10-year-old again. So I’m going with Moana, but I think the Zucchini one, which I never heard of, could be an upset.

I guess you’re picking La La Land for Best Director?

No, Manchester by the Sea. Matt Damon, who was supposed to direct it, missed out.

There were a lot of snubs this year – Tom Hanks for Sully, Nocturnal Animals, Deadpool – what were you most surprised about?

Probably Amy Adams not getting anything. She was in Nocturnal Animals and Arrival and both of those were great. For her to not get any sort of recognition was a complete surprise.

The Academy Awards airs Sunday night on ABC and CTV.

Twitter: @markhdaniell

MDaniell@postmedia.com