Toronto Raptors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Matchup: Battle on the playoff margins

Two nine seeds do battle in Toronto tonight, as both the Thunder and Raptors are hungry to improve on their current seeding.

A life outside the Play In Tournament is slipping away from the Toronto Raptors, but there’s still upside potential. One game back of the Atlanta Hawks, they still have a chance to host one of the play in games. It’s not the most inspiring goal, but something small for the bulletin board nonetheless.

The Oklahoma City Thunder come into Toronto tonight with similar circumstances, though a bit more upside exists. Winners of three straight, the upstart Thunder are looking to climb in a truly wild west, where even that short-lived a win streak can conjure up dreams of avoiding the Play In Tournament altogether. They’re just 1.5 games back of Golden State in sixth and have one of the hottest hands in the league, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 35 points in two of the last three games.

The Raptors will be tested at the point of attack tonight, and how they choose to scheme against the talented Gilgeous-Alexander, along with the downhill-oriented Josh Giddey, will be one of the big keys. They’ve developed a point of attack of their own, though, with Fred VanVleet and Jakob Poeltl working well together in the pick and roll. A battle of point guards could be on tap.

Here are the rest of the game details. Let’s watch it play out!

Where to Watch:

Sportsnet One, 7:30 PM ET

Lineups:

Toronto Raptors – Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl

Oklahoma City Thunder – Jaylen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Josh Giddey, Jaylin Williams

Injuries:

Toronto Raptors – Dalano Banton (thumb – out), Otto Porter Jr. (foot – out)

Oklahoma City Thunder – Chet Holmgren (foot – out), Kenrich Williams (wrist – out)