Blake says:
Per SportsClubStats, Raptors 81% to finish with 3-seed. Wizards 73% to finish 6th. Likely, but not even close to certain, matchup.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) April 9, 2014
What’s his source? This page which has tons of lines and charts and stuff.
Looking at it from an “Avoiding Brooklyn” perspective, the Raptors got to make sure that they finish, at worst, tied with the Bulls thus avoiding a 4-5 matchup with the Nets. Chicago and Toronto are tied, and in case of a tie-breaker the Raptors would get the higher seed on account of their division title (forthcoming, we hope).
Here’s Chicago schedule:
@ Minnesota
vs Detroit
@ New York
vs Orlando – Back-to-Back
@ Charlotte
Here’s Toronto:
vs Philadelphia
vs New York
@ Detroit
vs Milwaukee (Back-to-Back)
@ New York
Winnable games everywhere for both teams, although Chicago has one more road game than the Raptors. The realistic chances the Bulls have of dropping a game is probably in New York and in Minnesota tonight (Kevin Love returned from injury last night). If Chicago drops one of those two games, it gives the Raptors a margin of error and affords them a loss in New York in the final game of the season. Until then, though, we got to sweep things – starting tonight.
If the playoffs started today the Raptors would face the Wizards in a 3-6 matchup. They have won the season series with the Wizards 3-1 and tied it 2-2 with the Nets. The Raptors are also 2-2 against Chicago, which comes into the play in the unlikely event of Brooklyn grabbing the third seed.
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