The road to the NBA Finals has been mapped, and now we’ll see if the Toronto Raptors have what it takes to get there.
A regular season finale loss to Miami on Wednesday was inconsequential, other than not allowing the Raptors to be able to call themselves a 60-win team. Still, 59 wins is nothing to be ashamed of, considering it was the second-most in the NBA this season. It puts Toronto four games up on Boston in the East, and one game better last year’s champion, the Golden State Warriors.
The Raptors (59-23) will enter the playoffs as the top team in the Eastern Conference, and will face the Washington Wizards (43-39) in Round 1. Game 1 begins on Saturday at 5:30 pm ET (2:30 pm PT).
Game | Date | Location | Time (ET) |
1 | Saturday, April 14 | Toronto | 5:30 PM |
2 | Tuesday, April 17 | Toronto | 7:00 PM |
3 | Friday, April 20 | Washington | 8:00 PM |
4 | Sunday, April 22 | Washington | 6:00 PM |
5* | Wednesday, April 25 | Toronto | 7:00 PM |
6* | Friday, April 27 | Washington | TBD |
7* | Sunday, April 29 | Toronto | TBD |
Their path to the Finals won’t be easy, as if they make it to the second round, they’ll likely have to play LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who finished fourth in the East.
The official bracket. #NBA #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/A9F9yj7uie
— LastWordHoops (@LastWordHoops) April 12, 2018
Here’s a look at the playoff matchups:
Eastern Conference
- (1) Toronto Raptors vs (8) Washington
- (2) Boston Celtics vs (7) Milwaukee Bucks
- (3) Philadelphia 76ers vs (6) Miami Heat
- (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (5) Indiana Pacers
Western Conference
- (1) Houston Rockets vs (8) Minnesota Timberwolves
- (2) Golden State Warriors vs (7) San Antonio Spurs
- (3) Portland Trail Blazers vs (6) New Orleans Pelicans
- (4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs (5) Utah Jazz