The playoff race in the Eastern Conference is still as close as ever. The Hawks have a one-game lead over the Raptors and they have a one-game lead over the 76ers and Magic. Toronto’s game against Miami was a must-win affair. The Raptors responded with a 121-95 win. Their defense made all the difference.
After the game, Norman Powell broke down why it was so difficult to score against the Raptors.
“They’re denying our swing passes and our movement,” Powell said. “They’re getting into the bodies on the weak side. They’re taking away how we’re able to play a little free, being able to swing and attack and play close outs. They’re denying me and Tyler [Herro], so then when other guys attack without being able to move the ball, they’re a great team at being able to swarm and then be able to get out after. They protect the paint really well.”
This isn’t the first time the Raptors have done that, either. They have excelled at guarding the Heat all season long, holding them to below 100 points in all three of their meetings so far. While the Heat should come out with more energy and fight in the rematch on Thursday, it seems like the Raptors already have the key to winning that game, too—and that could be enough to keep them in sixth place to finish the regular season, even if they only win one of their final two games.
The Raptors will have to go into another must-win game against the Heat
The Raptors weren’t able to secure the tiebreaker over the 76ers. They split the season series, but the 76ers have the better division record. So, the Raptors must finish the season with a better record than the 76ers. Otherwise, if Atlanta holds on to fifth place and Toronto and Philadelphia finish with an identical record, the Raptors will end the regular season in the play-in tournament.
The 76ers lost to the Spurs. If we’re assuming—or rather hoping—that they also lose to the Rockets but manage to take care of business against the Pacers and Bucks, the 76ers will finish with a 45-37 record. In that case, the Raptors would have to win two of their last three games to finish with a 46-36 record. That definitely makes the games against Miami and Brooklyn must-win matches.
This is all based on a lot of assumptions, however. The 76ers could very well beat the Rockets. The Hawks could also still fall in the standings and complicate matters even more.
So, ultimately, the Raptors should just consider all of their last three games must-win situations and control what they can control instead of hoping that other teams will help them get an advantage.