The Raptors could have sent out major pieces of their rotation at the trade deadline earlier this month. Instead, Toronto chose to become a buyer, acquiring Jakob Poeltl before the final stretch of the regular season.
Now, with the trade deadline and All-Star break behind them, the Raptors are focused on punching their ticket to the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The addition of Poeltl has already made a significant impact, but Toronto still has work to do in order to secure a postseason berth.
This week in particular could go a long way in determining whether the Raptors will be preparing for a first-round series or planning their summer vacations.
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Raptors upcoming schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 28 — vs. Bulls
The Bulls are attempting to climb back into the Play-In Tournament picture after losing six straight games before the All-Star break. Chicago is going to need every win it can get.
Aside from general placement in the Eastern Conference standings, this game is incredibly important because it will serve as a head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Raptors defeated the Bulls on Nov. 6, but they lost to Chicago the next day as part of a back-to-back set. This is the final meeting between the two teams.
Thursday, March 2/Saturday, March 4 — at Wizards
After dropping to eight games below .500 in mid-January, the Wizards won 10 of their next 14 games before All-Star Weekend. That allowed Washington to hold onto the last Play-In Tournament spot.
The Raptors will face the Wizards three times this season, so they could gain the head-to-head advantage with victories on Thursday and Saturday. That would give Toronto another key tiebreaker.
Rest of regular season
The Raptors have the second-toughest remaining schedule strength in the league, per Tankathon. They will play 11 of their final 20 games on the road.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| Feb. 28 | vs. Bulls | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 2 | at Wizards | 7 p.m. |
| March 4 | at Wizards | 5 p.m. |
| March 6 | at Nuggets | 9 p.m. |
| March 8 | at Clippers | 10 p.m. |
| March 10 | at Lakers | 10:30 p.m. |
| March 14 | vs. Nuggets | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 16 | vs. Thunder | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 18 | vs. Timberwolves | 7 p.m. |
| March 19 | at Bucks | 8 p.m. |
| March 22 | vs. Pacers | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 24 | vs. Pistons | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 26 | vs. Wizards | 6 p.m. |
| March 28 | vs. Heat | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 31 | at 76ers | 7 p.m. |
| April 2 | at Hornets | 1 p.m. |
| April 4 | at Hornets | 7 p.m. |
| April 5 | at Celtics | 7:30 p.m. |
| April 7 | at Celtics | 7:30 p.m. |
| April 9 | vs. Bucks | 1 p.m. |
Raptors NBA Playoff odds
As of Feb. 27, the Raptors have a 45 percent chance of making the 2023 NBA Playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight's projections.
Toronto has slightly lower odds on Basketball Reference's playoff probabilities report, which gives the team a 41.1 percent chance to reach the playoffs.
NBA standings 2023
(Current as of Feb. 27)
Eastern Conference
| 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 |
| — | Bulls | 28-33 | 16 |
| — | Pacers | 27-35 | 17.5 |
| — | Magic | 25-36 | 19 |
| — | Hornets | 19-43 | 25.5 |
| — | Pistons | 15-46 | 29 |