With 20 games remaining in the regular season, the Raptors find themselves in a battle.
The Raptors saw their four-game winning streak come to an end over the weekend with a blowout loss to the Cavaliers. They now stand at 30-32 on the season, good for the ninth-best record in the Eastern Conference standings.
While earning a top-six seed will be difficult for Toronto, moving up is still a real possibility. As of Feb. 27, the Raptors trail the Heat in seventh place by 2.5 games and the Hawks in eighth place by 1.5 games.
The Raptors would benefit greatly from finishing in either seventh or eighth as opposed to ninth or 10th.
Here's why.
MORE: Why this week could make or break Raptors' postseason odds
How the NBA Play-In Tournament works
The top six teams in each conference at the end of the regular season earn a guaranteed spot in the NBA Playoffs. The teams that finish Nos. 7 through No. 10 will enter the Play-In Tournament to determine the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds.
Each conference's Nos. 7 and 8 teams will face off in the first round of the Play-In Tournament. The winner will earn the No. 7 seed while the loser will have one more opportunity to make the playoffs.
Each conference's Nos. 9 and 10 teams will then play against each other, with the winner advancing to play the loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.
The loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game and the winner of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 will meet. The winner will earn the No. 8 seed. The loser will be eliminated.
What this means for the Raptors
Teams Nos. 9 and 10 will be in win-or-go-home mode while teams Nos. 7 and 8 will have two opportunities to make the playoffs. Two shots are better than one. Additionally, the team with the better record hosts each Play-In Game. That could be a big deal to a Raptors team that has been much better at home (19-13) than on the road (11-19).
MORE: Will Raptors make playoffs? Breaking down Toronto's remaining schedule
NBA Play-In Tournament bracket 2023
When is the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament?
The Play-In Tournament takes place between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs.
The 2022-2023 season's Play-In Tournament will begin on Tuesday, April 11 and end on Friday, April 14.
The 2023 NBA Playoffs will start the following day on Saturday, April 15.
MORE: How Jakob Poeltl is transforming the Raptors in one simple play
NBA Play-In Tournament history
2020
| Game | Result | Reward |
| No. 8 (Trail Blazers) vs. No. 9 (Grizzlies) | Trail Blazers 126, Grizzlies 122 | No. 8 seed |
2021
| Game | Result | Reward |
| No. 7 (Lakers) vs. No. 8 (Warriors) | Lakers 103, Warriors 100 | No. 7 seed |
| No. 9 (Grizzlies vs. No. 10 (Spurs) | Grizzlies 100, Spurs 96 | Advance |
| No. 8 (Warriors) vs. No. 9 (Grizzlies) | Grizzlies 117, Warriors 112 (OT) | No. 8 seed |
| Game | Result | Reward |
| No. 7 (Celtics) vs. No. 8 (Wizards) | Celtics 118, Wizards 100 | No. 7 seed |
| No. 9 (Pacers) vs. No. 10 (Hornets) | Pacers 144, Hornets 117 | Advance |
| No. 8 (Wizards) vs. No. 9 (Pacers) | Wizards 143, Pacers 115 | No. 8 seed |
2022
| Game | Result | Reward |
| No. 7 (Timberwolves) vs. No. 8 (Clippers) | Timberwolves 109, Clippers 104 | No. 7 seed |
| No. 9 (Pelicans) vs. No. 10 (Spurs) | Pelicans 113, Spurs 103 | Advance |
| No. 8 (Clippers) vs. No. 9 (Pelicans) | Pelicans 105, Clippers 101 | No. 8 seed |
| Game | Result | Reward |
| No. 7 (Nets) vs. No. 8 (Cavaliers) | Nets 115, Cavaliers 108 | No. 7 seed |
| No. 9 (Hawks) vs. No. 10 (Hornets) | Hawks 132, Hornets 103 | Advance |
| No. 8 (Cavaliers) vs. No. 9 (Hawks) | Hawks 107, Cavaliers 101 | No. 8 seed |
2023 NBA Eastern Conference standings
(Through games played on Feb. 26)
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
| 1. | Celtics | 44-17 | – |
| 2. | Bucks | 43-17 | 0.5 |
| 3. | 76ers | 39-20 | 4 |
| 4. | Cavaliers | 39-25 | 6.5 |
| 5. | Nets | 34-26 | 9.5 |
| 6. | Knicks | 35-27 | 9.5 |
| 7. | Heat | 32-29 | 12 |
| 8. | Hawks | 31-30 | 13 |
| 9. | Raptors | 30-32 | 14.5 |
| 10. | Wizards | 28-32 | 15.5 |
| 11. | Bulls | 28-33 | 16 |
| 12. | Pacers | 27-35 | 17.5 |
| 13. | Magic | 25-36 | 19 |
| 14. | Hornets | 19-43 | 25.5 |
| 15. | Pistons | 15-46 | 29 |
