Raptors are running out of chances to go into playoffs with everything they need

At this point, it’s not much of a surprise anymore when the Raptors lose to one of the top teams in the league. The only top-five team in either conference that the Raptors have beaten consistently is Cleveland, which bodes well for the playoffs if they stay locked into the 4-5 first-round matchup. 

That matchup isn’t set in stone, though. The Heat have closed the gap between them and the Raptors, and the Magic are only 0.5 games behind. The Raptors need to do two things to close out the season: avoid falling into the play-in tournament and prove that they can beat a top team other than Cleveland. Just one win against the Pistons, Celtics, or Knicks would give fans more confidence in the Raptors’ ability to win a playoff game than they currently have.

Unfortunately, the schedule doesn’t provide many more opportunities for the Raptors to do that. They only have four games left against the Pistons, Celtics, and Knicks. On the other hand, that means they have plenty of games left against teams they should beat, which will help with maintaining their standing. 

The Raptors have 18 games left in the season 

We’re about a month away from the end of the regular season. That’s still a ton of time for the standings to change in some ways. Considering the separation they have created, the Pistons and Celtics seem pretty locked into the top two spots in the Eastern Conference. After that, it gets a little more interesting. The Knicks are only 0.5 games ahead of the Cavs for third place. As previously mentioned, the gap between the Raptors, Heat, and Magic is basically non-existent at this point, and the Hornets are creeping up on the 76ers and Hawks. 

The Raptors’ remaining schedule isn’t insanely difficult, but also not overly easy. They have a few big games left: two matchups with Detroit, one game each against Boston and New York, and a chance to secure the tiebreaker over the Heat in back-to-back meetings. 

The Raptors won their first two games against the Heat. Winning that series could be the key to holding on to that precious No. 5 spot, especially if the Raptors can also clinch the season series against the Magic in late March. 

Some of the other matchups on the schedule may not be as high-profile, but they are just as important. The Raptors still have seven games left against the Pelicans, Bulls, Jazz, Kings, Grizzlies, and Nets. Those should be easy wins to solidify their place in the standings. The Raptors have a good track record against teams at the bottom of the league, but that’s no reason to take any of these games lightly.