"The biggest issue, at least in Boston, was injuries as Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl and Brandon Ingram were out for the game and to top it all off RJ Barrett sprained his left ankle late in the fourth quarter, which makes it a possibility of four starters being out for this matchup against the fifth seeded Philadelphia 76ers who are breathing down Toronto's neck."
"Toronto kicks off a two-game series on back-to-back nights with the Philadelphia 76ers, as both games will be played at the Scotiabank Arena over the next two days. This is an important series as the 76ers are only half a game back of the Raptors, and even though Toronto has two wins over them, the Sixers have played three fewer games overall."
Toronto enters the series 23-16, fourth in the Eastern Conference, with an Offensive Rating of 114.1 and Defensive Rating of 112.3, producing a +1.8 Net Rating. Toronto has won three of its last five and six of its last ten but faces significant injury concerns: Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl and Brandon Ingram missed the recent game and RJ Barrett sprained his left ankle, risking up to four starters being unavailable. Philadelphia is 21-15, fifth in the East, with a 115.0 Offensive Rating and 113.3 Defensive Rating, riding a 4-1 recent stretch and a two-game win streak; their only recent loss was a one-point defeat to a Jokic-less Denver team. The series is consequential because Philadelphia sits only half a game behind Toronto and has played three fewer games, making these back-to-back matchups pivotal for seeding.
Read at Raptors Republic
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