Don't look now, but the Toronto Raptors are only four and a half games behind the Celtics. Here are the conference standings 2-5 as of this morning:
Team.........GB
Orlando.....5
Boston.......6.5
Atlanta......7
Toronto.....11
Toronto has only 26 games on their schedule left to overtake the C's, so they still have a ways to go. But it is imperative that the C's avoid being overtaken. If Toronto were to move ahead of the C's, they would inevitably slide to fourth or fifth place in the East. And the other team waiting for them in the four-vs.-five first round match-up will also inevitably be Orlando or Atlanta (their race is much too close to call at this point). And that's horrible news for Celtics fans. This season, the Celtics have outscored all non-Atlanta and Orlando opponents by an average of 5.83 points. But in their eight games with Atlanta and Orlando, the C's were outscored by 4.88 points, almost the complete inverse. And with the C's ever-slowing pace of game, the problem could only exacerbate itself (unless Nate Robinson really is the savior).
Add all that up, and the most important game of the season may just be the C's last game with Toronto - April 7 in the province of Ontario. Lord knows that on April 7 most of the TV sets in New England will be turned to the early-season showdown with the Bronx Bombers, but the C's may just be fighting for a chance to not be broomed out of the playoffs early elsewhere on the dial.
Team.........GB
Orlando.....5
Boston.......6.5
Atlanta......7
Toronto.....11
Toronto has only 26 games on their schedule left to overtake the C's, so they still have a ways to go. But it is imperative that the C's avoid being overtaken. If Toronto were to move ahead of the C's, they would inevitably slide to fourth or fifth place in the East. And the other team waiting for them in the four-vs.-five first round match-up will also inevitably be Orlando or Atlanta (their race is much too close to call at this point). And that's horrible news for Celtics fans. This season, the Celtics have outscored all non-Atlanta and Orlando opponents by an average of 5.83 points. But in their eight games with Atlanta and Orlando, the C's were outscored by 4.88 points, almost the complete inverse. And with the C's ever-slowing pace of game, the problem could only exacerbate itself (unless Nate Robinson really is the savior).
Add all that up, and the most important game of the season may just be the C's last game with Toronto - April 7 in the province of Ontario. Lord knows that on April 7 most of the TV sets in New England will be turned to the early-season showdown with the Bronx Bombers, but the C's may just be fighting for a chance to not be broomed out of the playoffs early elsewhere on the dial.
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