The Raptors can clinch a playoff spot as soon as tonight
The Toronto Raptors can clinch a spot in the NBA playoffs as soon as tonight.
After uncertainty about the future of their franchise following a 27-45 season where they were forced to play the entirety of their home schedule in Tampa Bay, the Raptors have stormed back to put up a remarkable 45-33 campaign so far.
Toronto currently sits sixth place in the Eastern Conference, while holding an identical record with the Chicago Bulls (but not the tiebreaker).
If the playoffs began today, the Raptors would line up against the Milwaukee Bucks in a rematch of the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals.
Here's where we stand with just 6 nights of regular season hoops left pic.twitter.com/A2DKNngPVp
— J.E. Skeets (@jeskeets) April 5, 2022
The formula for the Raptors to guarantee themselves a top-six spot (and avoid the NBA’s playoff tournament) is pretty simple: any combination of two wins by themselves and losses by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Possible Eastern Conference Playoffs scenarios for today ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Xyx7Tz7Xrp
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 5, 2022
Toronto plays host to the Atlanta Hawks tonight, while Cleveland travels to Orlando to play the Magic. Toronto wins, Cleveland loses? That’s a guaranteed playoff spot for the Raptors.
Meanwhile, a Raptors win tonight against Atlanta would also lock the Hawks into a play-in game.
Atlanta could conceivably still sneak their way into a top-six seed, but they’d need to win four remaining games while also having Toronto lose all four of their upcoming contests.
For the most part, it’s a battle between Toronto and Cleveland to nab that sixth seed while keeping an eye out on the Bulls’ final four games for the possibility to slip into a fifth-seed.
Raptors remaining schedule:
Cavaliers remaining schedule:
Bulls remaining schedule:
If the Raptors don’t manage to clinch on Tuesday, their next chances will come later this week with home games against the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
But the Cavaliers are off after tonight until Friday — meaning the Raptors could have to wait if they don’t take care of their own business over the next two games.
Schedules/Standings via ESPN.
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