The Toronto Raptors (24-45) wrap up a four-game road trip with a trip to Golden State to take on the surging Warriors (40-29) on Thursday night (10 ET, League Pass). The matchup will be the conclusion of the Warriors’ seven-game homestand before heading out on a six-game trip.
Here are five things to watch for tonight:
- Toronto’s push for No. 10 in East: The Raptors sit just 5.5 games behind slumping Miami for the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference, the final spot of the SoFi Play-In Tournament. Toronto has lost two in a row after winning six of their previous seven contests, and eight of their final 13 games come on the road. However, nine of those 13 are against teams currently outside of the playoffs, including two against the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets.
- A.J. Lawson’s increased role: Lawson has taken full advantage of an uptick in playing time over the past several weeks, including two starting nods. The third-year undrafted guard scored a career-high 32 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Washington on Mar. 10, then followed that performance up with 28 points, six rebounds and four assists in Toronto’s win against Philadelphia on Mar. 12. Over his last eight outings, Lawson is averaging 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 35.6% from three in a little under 30.0 minutes a night.
- Immanuel Quickley ready to roll: Quickley has only appeared in 27 games for Toronto this season, but 17 of those have come since the beginning of February. In six games in March, the fifth-year guard has popped for 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists in only 28.7 minutes a night, with the Raptors going 5-1 in those contests. Quickley should start on Thursday as his club makes a push for the postseason.
- New-look Warriors are a problem: Golden State continues to prove to the rest of the league that they are legitimate contenders in the stacked Western Conference. With Jimmy Butler III in a Warriors uniform, they’re tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the NBA since Feb. 8 (15-3). During that same period, Golden State ranks fifth in offensive rating (118.8), second in defensive rating (107.6), third in net rating (11.2), second in free throw percentage (83.0 on 25.1 attempts per game), third in assists (30.5) and first in steals (10.3). Only five games separate the 8th-seeded Clippers and 2nd-seeded Rockets, meaning the sixth-place Warriors have little room for error down the stretch.
- Draymond Green has been a menace: The arrival of Butler III has somewhat rejuvenated the 13-year pro in Green, most notably on the defensive end of the floor. In the 18 games mentioned above, Draymond is averaging 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks with a plus-9.2 plus-minus rating (10th in NBA) in 31.1 minutes. He was all over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in Golden State’s 104-93 win over Milwaukee on Tuesday, finishing with 3 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks and 2 steals while Stephen Curry got the night off to rest.
