With seven games left in the NBA regular season, it’s crunch time for the Raptors to solidify their spot in the NBA Play-In tournament. They currently sit in the 9th spot in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 37-38. Just above them is the Atlanta Hawks, and right above them is their next opponent — the Miami Heat.
The Heat are seventh in the East with a record of 40-35, desperate to inch out of the Play-In and straight to the first round of the playoffs. While it doesn’t seem like catching up to the Heat is possible for Toronto, beating them in this match up is an essential step to surpassing the Hawks and securing home court advantage in the Play-In.