{"id":689015,"date":"2026-03-31T00:32:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T00:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/689015\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T00:32:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T00:32:22","slug":"eight-games-left-and-the-raptors-seem-assured-of-a-top-eight-slot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/689015\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight games left and the Raptors seem assured of a top-eight slot"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sports<\/a>Basketball<\/a>NBA<\/a>Toronto Raptors<\/a> Get the latest from Frank Zicarelli straight to your inbox Sign Up <\/p>\n

Published Mar 30, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n

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\"TorontoToronto Raptors’ Brandon Ingram (left) and Scottie Barnes share a laugh late in second half NBA action in Toronto on Sunday. Photo by Frank Gunn \/The Canadia PressArticle content<\/p>\n

Scottie Barnes dishes off a career-best 15 dimes and the inevitable question gets asked if the face of the Raptors franchise should have the ball in his hands more often.<\/p>\n

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The Raptors, as a team, record assists with remarkable frequency and the unavoidable question is posed whether Brandon Ingram should have less of the basketball in the half court.<\/p>\n

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While it\u2019s true the ball can stick when Ingram is operating in the half court, he\u2019s the one player who will attract an extra defender, which opens up all kinds of opportunities.<\/p>\n

Balance, at the end of the day, is always critical, especially with the Raptors entering their most critical time of the season.<\/p>\n

Eight games remain, beginning with Tuesday\u2019s tip in Detroit against a Pistons team that was scheduled to play the host OKC Thunder Monday night.<\/p>\n

Of all the outlandish numbers to emerge from Sunday\u2019s beatdown of a dysfunctional Orlando Magic<\/a> team side, the biggest can be found in the standings, where Toronto finds itself three games clear of Orlando.<\/p>\n

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Eight games left and only a complete implosion will prevent the Raptors from falling into the No. 8 seed.<\/p>\n

Currently slotted in the No. 5 slot, the worse-case scenario involves slipping into the No. 7 seed.<\/p>\n

In this scenario, the Raptors will be in the play-in, but at least they\u2019ll be home.<\/p>\n

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Play VideoSoft Schedule Looms<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the least optimistic view, barring, off course, a total collapse, which doesn\u2019t seem likely when taking a quick peek at the upcoming schedule.<\/p>\n

At this stage it\u2019s not about debating the sustainability of a Philadelphia 76ers team that had its Big 3 of Tyrese Maxie, Paul George and Joel Embiid back on the court together, though the possibility of all three remaining healthy down the stretch should be worrisome for opponents.<\/p>\n

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At this stage it\u2019s not lamenting Toronto\u2019s inability to defeat quality teams.<\/p>\n

No one should put any stock in the career-high numbers posted by individual players as well when one realizes the Raptors\u2019 opposition was either depleted, bent on losing for the purpose of acquiring additional lottery balls or simply conceding, which was the case Sunday as Orlando suffered its most-lopsided loss in franchise history.<\/p>\n

Toronto recorded 20 steals,<\/a> a franchise high, would go on a 31-0 run between the first and second quarters en route to a 52-point victory and would feature little-used two-way contract players in Alijah Martin and A.J. Lawson combining for 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting.<\/p>\n

RJ Barrett persevered through a shoulder injury, while two starters in Ingram (right heel inflammation) and Immanuel Quickley (foot\/plantar fasciitis) were unavailable.<\/p>\n

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Eight games to play and the Raptors are 0.5 games up on Atlanta and one full game ahead of Philly.<\/p>\n

There are three teams in contention for the No. 5 through No. 7 seeds.<\/p>\n

Cavs-Raps Playoff Series?<\/p>\n

Ideally, the Raptors finish fifth and should feel good in a first-round matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who aren\u2019t the same team Toronto faced earlier in the season when James Harden was a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, when the Cavs had several front-line players inactive because of various injuries.<\/p>\n

At this time of the season, scoreboard watching becomes part of the daily routine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everyone goes home and checks it,\u201d Sandro Mamukelashvili told reporters Sunday, a night he ended the game with an jaw-dropping plus-47, the same night he scored 19 points on 13 attempts.\u201cWe\u2019re right there.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe fought through the whole year to kind of get ourselves in a good position. We slipped up, we came back. Now we know that everything is so stacked, the margin of error is so small, I feel you got to be aware of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI watch other games, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta \u2014 all the teams that are right there with us, what they\u2019re doing and how they\u2019re doing it and make sure we stay on top.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defend, share the ball and try to get as many incumbent players back on the court will put the Raptors on more stable ground.<\/p>\n

Barnes\u2019 court vision is second to none, but the truth is the Raptors don\u2019t have much of a chance come playoff time if he\u2019s the de facto point guard because whatever opponent will make the necessary adjustment.<\/p>\n

Ingram must have the ball in his hands, but it\u2019s incumbent on him to make quicker decisions in the halfcourt unless the shot clock is about to expire.<\/p>\n

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Eight games left and the Raptors remain a team that still must prove it can beat a quality opponent.<\/p>\n

Wins are never assured and nor are they ever taken for granted, but certain wins mean more.<\/p>\n

Cade vs Scottie<\/p>\n

When the Raptors defeated the Pistons 119-108 two weeks Sunday, Cunningham poured in 33 points, while Ingram netted 34.<\/p>\n

Detroit hasn\u2019t missed a beat in Cunningham\u2019s injury absence, but there remains concerns about the Pistons\u2019 three-point shooting.<\/p>\n

Cunningham is Detroit\u2019s best player and was well on his way to earning first-team all-NBA honors until he suffered his lung setback.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s expected to be re-evaluated this week.<\/p>\n

Cunningham, the first overall selection, and Barnes are well ahead of their 2021 draft class.<\/p>\n

Barnes is the superior defender, but Cunningham\u2019s offence is more balanced and his ball handling much tighter.<\/p>\n

Either way, the fate of their respective teams rests on their shoulders.<\/p>\n

fzicarelli@postmedia.com<\/p>\n

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