Paul George Looking to Spoil Raptors Breakthrough Season
The Raptors breakthrough season is on the brink of having a familiar ending. Despite being the second best team in the East, Toronto has found themselves facing a huge hurdle against Paul George and the Indiana Pacers.
The series is currently tied 2-2 and the Raptors most recent fall came in a game where both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were outplayed by the resurgent George and company.
Notably, the even series is split in terms of home court advantage. Both teams have won a game at home and on the road which raises the stakes immensely for Game 5.
As discussed after Game 1, the future of the franchise is likely to be determined by how the team does during the playoffs. DeRozan is set to become a free agent this summer and another early round exit would likely determine how seriously he considers offers from around the NBA.
Major shake-ups are expected in the Western Conference concerning the future of the Clippers and the Thunder. The biggest suitor for DeRozan is expected to be the Lakers. That said, the Eastern Conference is still expected to be the less challenging of the two in terms of reaching the Finals.
With DeRozan’s future in Toronto likely in the balance, the Raptors are the team with the most at stake in the first round.
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