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OKC Thunder: Analyzing stretch run schedules with view to seeding

By Tamberlyn Richardson

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 26: Anthony Davis
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 26: Anthony Davis /
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TORONTO, ON – March 25 In second half action, both Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) and DeMar DeRozan look up to the scoreboard to watch a replay of a foul.The Toronto Raptors lost to the LA Clippers 117-106 in NBA basketball action at the Air Canada Centre (ACC) in Toronto.{man} 25, 2018 (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – March 25 In second half action, both Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) and DeMar DeRozan look up to the scoreboard to watch a replay of a foul.The Toronto Raptors lost to the LA Clippers 117-106 in NBA basketball action at the Air Canada Centre (ACC) in Toronto.{man} 25, 2018 (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /

Eastern Conference:

Toronto Raptors:

It’s been a rough week for the Toronto Raptors with the schedule starting to take a toll on the squad. Toronto played four games this week, as they have for the past four weeks in a row splitting the games with wins over the Magic and Nets, but losses to the Cavaliers and Clippers. Toronto also played their third set of back to backs in as many weeks. The Clippers game Sunday was their seventh in 11 days.

Remaining schedule includes:

  • Denver Nuggets,Tuesday 27
  • At Boston Celtics, Saturday 31
  • At Cleveland Cavaliers, Tuesday 3
  • Boston Celtics, Wednesday 4
  • Indiana Pacers, Friday 6
  • Orlando Magic,  Sunday 8
  • At Detroit Pistons, Monday 9
  • At Miami Heat, Wednesday 11

Toronto has another desperate west team in town on Tuesday as the Nuggets look to replicate what LA did by getting a win on the stingy ACC court. After this game the Raptors will get three days off which represents their first consecutive days off in over a month.  Of their final eight games half are on the road, five are against playoff seeds and the crazy back to back sets continue with two more coming.

Toronto is visibly tired (witnessed via their missing defense) and are 2-3 in their last five games. However they are also 20-4 since February 23. Putting in perspective the fact Toronto hasn’t had consecutive days off since February 23, by comparison the Celtics had five sets of two consecutive days off in this same period. Virtually every other top team got multiple rest days on at least two occasions in this period (Cavaliers being the lone exception).

The key section of the remaining schedule will be the Celtics and Cavalier/Celtics back to back set. Based on their seasonal performance winning those games would give them some breathing room while also sending an important message.

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