Raptors' Playoff Hopes Hinge on Final Games

0:00From the Daily News Now Network, this is NBA News Today, subscribe to keep up with every headline, every game. The Toronto Raptors are 60 games into the season and heading into their final 22 games with a real playoff hopes. It would mark their first postseason trip since 2022 and the first undercoach Darko Rajakovic. Right now, they sit in the position to climb the Eastern Conference standings if things break right. They have eight matchups labeled as locked wins, mostly against teams tanking for better draft picks like the Mavericks, Bulls, Jazz, Pelicans, Kings, Grizzlies and Nets. Taking all those should push them above 500 winning percentage for the year and build momentum. Meanwhile, four games look like sure losses, including road trips to the Timberwolves and Nuggets, plus two against the pistons. These pit them against elite competition where pulling off upsets will be tough. Even if they stay competitive, the real key comes down to 10 toss-up games against evenly

1:01mashed foes, such as the Nicks, Rockets, Suns, Clippers, Magic, Celtics and Heat. Fans are hoping for at least half wins here to stay in the top six race. Predictions have them finishing 48 and 34 if they go 8 and 0 in the easy ones, 0 and 4 in the hard ones and 5 and 5 in the closed calls. That could land a solid 5 or 6 seed and keep the playoff dreams alive. The Daily News Now is grateful to our sponsor for today's episode. Podcasts hit different when the sound comes from your pillow. Once you try it, it just makes sense.