9. Toronto Raptors (2-2)
As we mentioned briefly before, all the pressure is on the Toronto Raptors to finish off the 7th-seeded Indiana Pacers. It’s 2-2 and this is a brand new series. The Raptors have the homecourt, once again, so they’re going to be expected to finish the job.
Question is, how long can they afford to get by with DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry playing as a shell of their regular season selves?
They’re both shooting sub-40 percent for the series and aren’t scoring nearly as much as they did in the regular season.
The most dangerous part of this all? The Pacers currently have the best player in this series. And, in the playoffs, more often than not, those are the teams that end up winning. I’m not saying that the Pacers are going to upset the Raptors, but if this ends in a Game 7, would you bet against Paul George?
Next: Atlanta Hawks