As the NBA season continues it’s stretch run toward the playoffs it seems each and every game from here on out holds major implications on the standings.
Out West, the top seven seems are locked in, with the Warriors and Spurs within half a game of one another for the no.1 spot as the Rockets and Jazz are poised for home court advantage in the first-round. Meanwhile, the Clippers, Thunder, and Grizzlies jockeying for position between the 5-7 seeds, while four teams— the Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, and Mavericks are all within three and a half games of the eighth seed.
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In the East, the Pistons, Bucks, Bulls, and Heat are all within one game of another for the final two playoff spots. But the real intrigue in the conference is taking place atop the standings, where the Celtics are suddenly just two and a half games back of the first-place Cavaliers.
Meanwhile, the Raptors caught a break earlier this week in their pursuit of the East’s third seed, a coveted place to wind up in the standings because apart from home court advantage it helps to avoid a potential matchup with the defending champion Cavs until the Conference Finals. Currently the Celtics, 2nd, and Wizards, 3rd, are in the Raptors way (though if you watched Toronto play this past weekend you’d say that the Raptors are in the Raptors way).
Let’s take a look at the weekly snapshot for each team gunning for a top-3 seed:
TORONTO RAPTORS
A fifth seed seemed far more realistic (inevitable, even) than the coveted third seed after dropping both games of their back-to-back road trip this past weekend— a closely contested loss vs. the Hawks in Atlanta followed by a particularly dispiriting one against the Miami Heat.
But the Raptors bounced back with a blowout win at home vs. the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, 100-78, behind 25 points from DeMar DeRozan and 19 from Norm Powell.
Things won’t get any easier for Toronto, who host MVP candidate Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night. The Raptors beat the Thunder in Oklahoma City earlier this season, but have struggled to consistently score in the absence of Kyle Lowry, which could be an issue against an OKC team that’s gone 3-1 over their last four games while averaging more than 114 points during that stretch.
The Raps then go on the road the following night to face the Detroit Pistons on Friday. The two teams have split their season series so far, with Detroit getting the best of the Raps the last time they played.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
As the Raptors won on Monday night, the Wizards helped keep them close in the standings by dropping an exciting game against the Minnesota Timberwolves (…in which T’Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio registered 22 points and 19 assists, and star big man Karl-Anthony Towns posted 39 points and 13 boards).
The loss, coupled with a Raps win, keeps Toronto just two and a half games back of Washington. That said, the Wizards have a slightly easier schedule ahead of them this week and are playing at home, where they’ve posted a stellar 26-9 record this season. Washington plays the Mavericks tonight, followed by the dysfunctional Bulls on Friday.
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BOSTON CELTICS
As mentioned, the Celtics could be in the running for the East’s top seed, yet the Wizards are only one game behind, and the Raptors three. Boston handily beat the Bulls over the weekend, yet are preparing to face a Minnesota Timberwolves team playing their best ball of the season tonight.
After tonight, though, The Celtics have, by far, the easiest upcoming schedule of the three teams jockeying for seeding atop the East, with road games against the Nets and 76ers later this week.
