Every game matters. That statement has defined the Raptors’ season, especially the last few weeks, as they have had to stay afloat in a close playoff race with the Hawks, Magic, and 76ers. Their final game of the regular season against the Brooklyn Nets is no exception.
That game will decide the Raptors’ playoff fate—partly. The Raptors have control over whether they will finish sixth or in the play-in tournament, but they cannot control whether they will climb into fifth place and face the Cavs in the first round or go up against the Knicks. That’s entirely up to the Hawks and Heat.
The Eastern Conference standings can still change significantly
Going into the last games of the season, the Hawks are in fifth place, one game ahead of the Raptors and Magic, and two games ahead of the 76ers. The Raptors win head-to-head tiebreakers over the Hawks and Magic, but not the 76ers.
Atlanta cannot fall below sixth, the Raptors could still plummet all the way down to eighth if they lose to the Nets and everyone else wins, the same goes for the Magic, and Philadelphia will finish somewhere between sixth and eighth place.
For the Raptors, the most important thing is beating the Nets. A win over the Nets would secure the number-six seed even if the Magic and 76ers also win their last games.
Clinching a guaranteed playoff spot is a win, even if it comes with a first-round series against a Knicks team that has had the Raptors’ number all season long. There is nothing they can do to escape that fate—except lose and fall into the play-in tournament, but that would be a very bad idea—but they can hope that the Heat will beat the Hawks. That outcome would catapult the Raptors back into the top five.
The Raptors are in a good position to beat the Nets
Collin Murray-Boyles and RJ Barrett are still questionable for the final match of the season, but the Nets’ injury report is much longer. Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Michael Porter Jr., Josh Minott, Egor Demin, and Ziaire Williams are all listed as out. That’s all of the team’s double-digit scorers except for Cam Thomas, who hasn’t played since March.
The Nets also have little incentive to win this game, while the Raptors will enter the matchup with a guaranteed playoff spot on the line. It’s a must-win situation and should be a relatively easy victory for the Raptors. But then again, the Raptors wouldn’t even be in this situation if they hadn’t wasted an opportunity against the Kings.