Here’s the race for 10th:
I always look at the loss column so the Raptors are a game back of the Bulls but since the Bulls hold the tie-breaker, it’s really two games back. The Raptors hold the tie-breaker with the Wizards so a tie in the W column will be enough for the Raptors to push ahead.
Let’s look at the remaining schedule for the three teams:
If strength of schedule is hard to discern, no worries, the internet is a great thing and we got Tankathon: The Raptors have the toughest schedule:
Let’s look at the current injury reports for three teams. The Raptors did get fined for playing fast and loose with injury reporting, so take this with a truckload of salt:
The NBA has fined the Toronto Raptors $25,000 for league policies on player rest and injury reporting.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 17, 2021
Raptors Injury Report:
Bulls Injury Report:
Wizards Injury Report:
So the Bulls have the biggest issue with Lavine being out, and depending on what you believe of the Raptors, they’re pretty much healthy and so are the Wizards, though Len and Bertans have been key contributors for them, but both are game-time decisions.
As Samson mentioned in his latest podcast, this is a season for players to prove themselves and get noticed, which means vying for contracts. There is no tanking going on here when it comes to players like Khem Birch, and even veteran guys, they don’t know how to tank. Nobody is wired for tanking except for fans and management and thankfully neither are on the court. The Raptors may decide to rest players on the last game of a 4 in 5, like they did with Siakam and OG but that’s about it.
I would expect Gary Trent Jr. to remain out because frankly you don’t need him to beat the Thunder who have lost nine straight and are riddled with injuries. This is reflected in the odds as the Raptors are a whopping 11.5 point favorites.
Here’s the Thunder depth chart in case you don’t watch them too much:
SGA suffered plantar fasciitis in his right foot and has not played since March 12. He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks.
This one should be a win but OKC do play the Wizards tomorrow on a back-to-back. The Bulls play the Celtics tomorrow. Word of caution, the Raptors have lost to OKC when fully healthy about three weeks ago, but that was a low point in the season. Things could be different and looking up.
The game is at 7:00 PM on Sportsnet.
