The fight for the Eastern Conference’s No. 5 playoff position will be decided over the last two games of the regular season, with the Atlanta Hawks and the Toronto Raptors entering the weekend tied at 45–35.
Toronto owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, secured after a recent victory over Miami, positioning the Raptors to finish ahead of Atlanta if both clubs close with identical records. The winner of the race will draw the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are locked into the fourth seed.
What’s at Stake
A fifth-place finish guarantees a first-round matchup with Cleveland, while the sixth seed will face the third-seeded New York Knicks. One additional win by either the Hawks or the Raptors would clinch a full playoff berth for that team and eliminate any chance of slipping into the play-in tournament. The Orlando Magic remain mathematically alive but need help to force a tie.
Remaining Schedules
Raptors – Toronto travels to Madison Square Garden on Friday for the second night of a back-to-back against the Knicks, then returns home to meet the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
Hawks – Atlanta hosts Cleveland on Friday in a rematch of Wednesday’s loss in Ohio, followed by a season finale Sunday at Miami. With their playoff position secured, the Cavaliers may limit minutes for regular rotation players in Atlanta.
Possible Gamesmanship
Because a series with Cleveland is generally viewed as more favorable than one with New York, Atlanta could benefit from staying in fifth. That scenario would require either two Hawks victories or at least one Raptors loss, beginning with Friday’s contest in New York.
As the weekend tips off, the Cavaliers and Knicks are already locked into their seeds—and both will be watching closely to learn which opponent awaits.
Source: Hoops Wire
