As the NBA season continues its stretch run toward the playoffs it seems each and every game from here on out holds major implications on the standings.
In the East, the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are tied atop the standings, with the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards duelling for third place. And despite a disappointing home loss to the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday night, the Raptors ultimately caught a huge break and remain within one game of the Wiz— and are now just three games out of first place thanks to losing performances from those teams ahead in the standings.
Let’s take a look at the weekly snapshot for each team gunning for a top-three seed:
BOSTON CELTICS
The Celtics spent two full days in first place, but saw their grasp atop the standings loosen when Milwaukee Bucks rookie Malcom Brogdon hit a clutch shot to put the Bucks up for good in their 103-100 win over Boston. Point guard Isaiah Thomas did his part, dropping 32 points in the loss, but no other Celtic scored more than 13 (though the backcourt combo of Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart each posted double-digit rebounds).
The Bucks have been on fire of late and are quickly climbing the standings. Meanwhile, Boston failed to create separation with the Cavs, Wizards, and Raptors. Their game next Wednesday versus Cleveland will have a monumental affect on the standings, but fortunately for Boston (and unfortunately for the three aforementioned clubs), they’ll get to face the lowly Magic and Knicks before then to quickly get back on track.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
By the time the Wizards tipped-off in Los Angeles versus the Clippers last night, they had a real chance to make some noise and not only expand the gap between themselves and the Raptors, but also get within one game of first place with a win. But, alas, they dropped a high-scoring affair 133-124 thanks to four monster Clips performances; Blake Griffin flirted with a triple-double (26 points, 10 boards, nine assists), DeAndre Jordan posted 23 points and 18 rebounds, J.J. Redick hit seven of his 11 three-point attempts en route to 31 points, while Chris Paul had a double-double with 27 points and 13 assists.
Wizards all-star John Wall did all he could— 41 points, seven boards, eight assists, and three steals- and teammate and future all-star Bradley Beal chipped in with 27 points of his own, but Washington couldn’t get much else from their supporting cast.
Things won’t get any easier for the Wizards on their current road trip, closing out the week with games against the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz and first-place Warriors before returning home for a game against the pesky Hornets. With the Raptors winning the season series versus Washington and thus owning the tie-break, the schedule appears to breaking in Toronto’s favour.
TORONTO RAPTORS
The Raptors had their six-game win streak snapped in crushing fashion on Wednesday night, seeing their stellar defensive play since the all-star break crumble down the stretch, allowing the visiting Charlotte Hornets to score 44 fourth-quarter points and complete the comeback to win 110-106. Jonas Valanciunas posted a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while DeMar DeRozan contributed 28 points (on 24 shots however) along with six boards and a team-high eight assists. Five Hornets reached double-digit scoring, led by former Raptor Marco Bellineli’s team-high 21 points.
After the loss, head coach Dwane Casey voiced his displeasure over the Raps’ defensive effort late and the lack of bench production on Wednesday night:
Wednesday’s loss could have been relatively catastrophic for the Raptors, who aim to finish the season in 3rd place. That said, given the Cavaliers’ struggles of late (2-3 in their last five) and the Celtics easier schedule ahead, should the Cavaliers wind up in second-place in the East, a fourth-place finish may be more ideal for Toronto, who would then see a potential Raptors-Celtics matchup in the second round. Still, it’s hard to count out LeBron James and the Cavs, who have a relatively light schedule themselves down the stretch, save for games against Boston, Miami and Toronto.
Needless to say it’ll be interesting to see how the standings continue to shake out over the next week or so when teams really begin jockeying for seeding position. For the Raptors it’s all about avoiding Cleveland in round two; the Raptors are the only team in the NBA holding down a playoff spot that the Cavs haven’t lost to.
The Raptors will get some relief over their next four games, as they’ll face the Pacers (twice), 76ers, and Pistons before a tough matchup against the Heat. The final game of Toronto’s regular season is against the Cavs and, when all is said and done, that lone game can be the one that determines the Raptors’ playoff fate.
Stay tuned.
