With their loss to the Boston Celtics, the Toronto Raptors are set to host the Chicago Bulls in the 9-10 game of the NBA’s play-in tournament after both teams locked in their post-season seeds on Friday night.
This marks the first time that the two teams meet in the post-season as well as the first time that either team takes part in the play-in tournament.
Though they haven’t met in the playoff, the feeling of familiarity will be clear for Raptors fans as they take on former fan favourite DeMar DeRozan in the most high-stakes game of the year.
Whoever wins Wednesday’s game will travel to take on the loser of the 7-8 play-in game between the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat next Friday for a chance at the eighth seed and a playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Season Summary
The Raptors and Bulls have had turbulent campaigns, with neither squad having surpassed two games above .500 for the entirety of the regular season.
They’ve followed similar paths this season and were mirror images during the trade deadline. The Raptors sat four games under .500 when the Feb. 9, deadline passed and the Bulls weren’t much better at three games under the mark.
However, they both decided to toss aside the notion of selling away their players for picks or future assets and instead chose to bolster their squads. The loser may regret their decision to not sell at the deadline.
Toronto leads the season series 2-1 with their last matchup ending in a 104-98 Raptors victory on Feb. 28.
Key Players
DeMar DeRozan, Bulls
For the first time since being traded from Toronto, DeRozan is set to take on his former team in the post-season.
The beloved wing hasn’t missed a beat since leaving the team that drafted him, having been named to the past two All-Star games and receiving his second All-NBA selection last season.
Since pairing up with Zach LaVine in Chicago, the 14-year wing has been stellar, averaging 26.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists the past two seasons.
However, his issues come playoff time have also persisted.
In the Bucks’ sweep of the Bulls last season, DeRozan’s scored only 20.8 points per game on 41 per cent shooting from the field, down a fair margin from his 27.9 points per game on 50 per cent from the field in the regular season.
If he wants to avoid a one-and-done in the play-in tournament, he’ll have to stave off his playoff demons in a city all-too familiar with his postseason struggles.
Fred VanVleet, Raptors
Similarly to DeRozan, VanVleet shrunk in the playoffs last season, averaging a paltry 13.8 points on 35 per cent shooting from the field in the four games he appeared in against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The point guard has been a mixed bag in his seventh season. Though his scoring has kept pace with last season, he’s shooting a career-worst 34 per cent from three.
For a team as range deprived as the Raptors, who currently possess the fourth-worst percentage from deep at 34.2 since Jan. 1, getting VanVleet on a good day will be absolutely key.
The offence still runs through VanVleet. His playmaking has improved this season while also limiting turnovers. Only three games ago against the Charlotte Hornets, he broke the Raptors’ single-game record for assists with 20.
VanVleet will need to find steady footing against what has been the second-best defence (112.8 defensive rating) in the NBA since the trade deadline.
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