March was a roller coaster of a month for the Toronto Raptors, but they capped it off in style with a signature win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
DeMar DeRozan exploded for a career-high 42 points as Toronto defeated a team with a winning record for the first time since Feb. 20 in Atlanta.
It’s looking like the Raptors will finish in the Eastern Conference’s fourth playoff spot, which is what most predicted entering the 2014-15 campaign. That scenario may actually offer Dwane Casey’s squad the best chance of making some noise this spring by delaying any date with the Cleveland Cavaliers or Chicago Bulls until the Conference Finals.
Meanwhile, out West, an old hand is making a late push and a Pacific Division team looks poised for a deep post-season run.
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1 | The Warriors have already clinched the Western Conference’s top seed with nine games left on their schedule. That’s quite the accomplishment considering the level of competition around them. |
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2 | Winners in eight of their past 10 outings, the Cavaliers have yet to lose a home game with Timofey Mozgov in the lineup. That trade just looks better and better. |
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3 | Having secured home court through the Eastern Conference playoffs, Atlanta is giving its starters plenty of rest down the stretch. Expect the Hawks to be plenty fresh for the post-season. |
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4 | The Spurs are looking unbeatable again and will be a nightmare for whichever poor team draws them in the first round. Last year’s Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard, has been outstanding over the past two weeks, averaging 19.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.0 steals. |
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5 | Doc Rivers’ group also looks like a team poised to do some damage. Winners of their last seven, the Clippers aren’t just beating opponents, they’re crushing them—LA’s average margin of victory over that span is nearly 15 points. |
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6 | The Grizzlies have stumbled a bit heading into the final month of the season, but it’s still hard to bet against their powerhouse frontcourt in a seven-game series. |
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7 | Houston briefly held the West’s second seed but coughed it up with Monday’s loss in Toronto. Nonetheless, MVP candidate James Harden still has his team ready for a run at the Larry O’Brien. |
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8 | Chicago held down the fort while Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson recovered from injuries and are now on the inside track for third in the East. If the Bulls can get Derrick Rose back for the post-season, they would set up a potentially epic showdown with Cleveland in the second round. |
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9 | Move over, Marshawn Lynch. Russell Westbrook may need to take the “Beast Mode” nickname. With Kevin Durant lost for the season, Oklahoma City’s point guard continues to carry the load, recording back-to-back games with 30 or more points over the weekend. |
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10 | The Trail Blazers won’t be at full strength come playoff time, but you have to admire the determination of LaMarcus Aldridge, who has battled nagging injuries all year. No matter the ailment, the big man seems good for 20 and 10 every time he takes the floor. |
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11 | The Mavericks are also limping into April, having lost four of their past five games. To make matters worse, leading scorer Monta Ellis is on the shelf with a leg injury. |
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12 | The Raptors may very well achieve their first 50-win season thanks to a favourable (albeit road-heavy) April schedule. The biggest concern at this point is making sure Kyle Lowry is as close to 100 percent as possible for the playoffs. |
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13 | Former darlings of the Eastern Conference, the Wizards have some serious problems as playoff time inches closer. In what appears to be the most likely first-round matchup, it’s doubtful Washington is stoked to walk into Jurassic Park for a best-of-seven series. |
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14 | Breakout centre Hassan Whiteside suffered a hand laceration last week, seriously hampering Miami’s frontcourt. Dwyane Wade may need to go ’06 Flash to keep the Heat in playoff contention and he’s well on his way after dropping 40 points on Sunday. |
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15 | Poor New Orleans, unlucky enough to find themselves in the Southwest Division, where four of five teams boast at least 45 wins. In any other division, Anthony Davis would likely have this bunch in a playoff spot. |
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16 | Expectations heading into the season (and after the Rajon Rondo trade) were low for Boston, but what a job Brad Stevens has done with this group. The 38-year-old coach has his team knocking at the second season’s door. |
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17 | Anchored by the ‘Stifle Tower,’ Rudy Gobert, the Jazz have been playing solid basketball since moving big man Enes Kanter. Addition by subtraction! Sound familiar, Raptors fans? |
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18 | Pushing for the East’s eighth seed, the Nets have quietly won three in a row and five of their past six. |
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19 | With Sunday’s loss to the Thunder, things are looking bleak for Suns fans. Currently out of a playoff spot, Phoenix will need to pray both OKC and New Orleans get stuck in quicksand down the stretch. |
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20 | Milwaukee has dropped seven of its last nine, but were at least buoyed by this crazy game-winner from Khris Middleton. |
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21 | Paul George is still hinting at a return, but the Pacers may be able to sneak into the playoffs without him. Indiana is currently on the outside looking in, but anything can happen in the atrocious East. |
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22 | If Kemba Walker hadn’t missed 18 games recovering from knee surgery, the Hornets might have found themselves playing basketball into May. But alas, Charlotte will most likely be watching from the couch. |
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23 | After starting March with a 6-3 record, the lottery-bound Nuggets closed out the month by dropping five of seven. |
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24 | Despite a recent four-game winning streak, the Kings are still 20 games under .500. At least Canadian Nik Stauskas, aka Sauce Castillo, is closing out a forgettable rookie campaign with some hot shooting. |
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25 | Overall, the Pistons’ year has been terrible, but think how bad it might have been had they not managed to win 11 of 13 games from Dec. 26 – Jan. 17. |
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26 | A bright spot in an otherwise miserable season for the Lakers has been the recent play of Jordan Clarkson. Over the past 30 days, the rookie guard has averaged 15.1 points, 4.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds. |
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27 | Nerlens Noel thinks he deserves consideration for Rookie of the Year. While winning that honour may be about as likely as getting struck by lightning, the 20-year-old does lead first-year players in rebounds, blocked shots and steals on a per game basis. |
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28 | The Magic continue to slide, but rookie point guard Elfrid Payton has been lights out lately. The 10th overall pick in last year’s draft has morphed into a triple-double threat every time he takes the floor, achieving the feat in back-to-back games on Mar. 18 and 20. |
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29 | It’s not just Andrew Wiggins; fellow rookie Zach Levine has also been filling the stat sheet for Minnesota. Since Mar. 15, the 2015 Slam Dunk champ is averaging better than 16 points per game. |
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30 | The Knicks have already set a franchise record for losses in their first season under Derek Fisher. Hopefully Andrea Bargnani is spreading the sauce around to keep morale up. |
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