Toronto Raptors: The 3 teams Toronto needs to beat to get into play-in tournament

No. 8 seed: New York Knicks

The Knicks have not made the NBA playoffs since 2013, but have a real good shot at doing so this year. They are playing around .500 basketball with a record of 28-27 and, with four more wins, will have their best won/loss record since 2017, when they won 31 games.

Power forward Julius Randle is having an outstanding season with a scoring average of 23 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Sophomore R.J. Barrett is having a good season scoring 17.4 points with a three-point shooting average of 37.4% To help bolster their fortunes, the Knicks traded Dennis Smith Jr. back in February to acquire veteran point guard Derrick Rose.

Naming Tom Thibodeau as the team’s head coach seems to have given the Knicks roster a purpose and focus it hasn’t had in years. Their latest victory was 111-96 over the defending Los Angles Lakers, a game in which Randle led New York with 34 points and 10 rebounds against his former team. The Knicks own a three-game winning streak after that victory.

Can the Toronto Raptors overtake the Knicks?

The Raptors are 1-1 vs. the Knicks this season after a tough 102-96 loss a few days ago and will square off against the Knicks again on April 24 for the last time this season. The Knicks are seven and a half games ahead of Toronto in the standing and Toronto has 18 games left to play.

There are too many teams ahead of Toronto in the standings who will need to slump dramatically to help Toronto’s playoff hopes. Every game is a must-win scenario but their one-win month of March has all but evaporated any hope of a playoff appearance in 2021. The prize, if Toronto manages to secure the eighth seed, is a series against the stacked Brooklyn Nets.

What a prize!