Game #60: Toronto Raptors 117 - Orlando Magic 104

[DanH]

Game day!

[Mitch P]

Truly an amazing stat. But on watching portions of Philly/Heat, Cavs/Brooklyn and Bucks/Wiz tonight it just seems remarkable how balanced the top 8 in the east is this year. It seems likely that every playoff round will go 6 or 7 games. I love our team and feel that they will prevail but it will not be an easy quest. Though Philly lost tonight they and the Wiz worry me more than all the rest. Philly somehow has acquired a ridiculous collection of shooters to go with Embiid and Simmons and Saric who is playing better and better. The Wiz have perhaps modelled the Raptors and are moving the ball like crazy. Hopefully the return of Wall will destroy their current chemistry. I feel that with the emergence of our "youths" we have as much talent as either of them and just the right amount of experience. Lets get that 15 (or 14) and be the most dominant February team of all time.

[007]

There might be better months, but no better Februaries. According to ESPN stats anyway.

NBA should go full Atlanta Hawks and name the entire bench unit the Eastern Player of the Month lmao

[DanH]

Wow, I skimmed over your post admittedly, but that's a fucking incredible stat! No Lakers, Bulls, Warriors, Celtics etc teams have ever done better? Hasn't even SEEMED that good

There might be better months, but no better Februaries. According to ESPN stats anyway.

[KeonClark]

Actually, checking the math, 14 points would do it.

Wow, I skimmed over your post admittedly, but that's a fucking incredible stat! No Lakers, Bulls, Warriors, Celtics etc teams have ever done better? Hasn't even SEEMED that good

[DanH]

Actually, checking the math, 14 points would do it.

[rocwell]

[007]

DJ Augustin lol

[DanH]

Expected starters:

Magic:
DJ Augustin
Evan Fournier
Jonathon Simmons
Aaron Gordon
Nikola Vucevic

Raptors:
Kyle Lowry
DeMar DeRozan
OG Anunoby
Serge Ibaka
Jonas Valanciunas

Toronto is 4th in ORTG and 3rd in DRTG. Currently they are posting the best February in league history by point differential per game (+15.5). If they win by 15 points or more in this game they will set the record.

Orlando is 19th in ORTG and 27th in DRTG. They've lost 6 games in a row.

This is (somehow) the first of three meetings with Orlando this year. Two are on the road, before hosting them in the third last game of the season. This kicks off a mini two-game road trip, finishing in Washington on Friday before playing Charlotte in Toronto on Sunday.