NBA Sunday Tips: Raptors need to roar to push for Play-In run

With marginal gains to be found over the final games of the NBA regular season, Toronto can boost their hand if they sting the Hornets. Mark Woods previews Sunday’s action.

Toronto Raptors @ Charlotte Hornets

Tipoff: 6pm Sunday BST (Sky Sports Arena) 

Toronto needs to beat the Hornets. Not once, but twice in the last five games. An away-and-away mini-series with Charlotte is where the Raptors must profit in their push for a priceless higher seeding in the Play-in tournament. Beyond that lies the potential buzzkill of a double-header with Boston, followed by a concluding clash with Milwaukee. 

Given the tight race for the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, it’s harder to see either of the Celtics or Bucks getting a chance to rest their stars ahead of the NBA Playoffs proper. Hence it’s desperation time for the Raps after losing to the 76ers on Friday.

Seventh and eighth seeds square off with the victor rewarded with direct passage to the post-season. The loser must face the survivor of the two teams below. With so much double jeopardy, Nick Nurse’s side will know the implications of dropping back, especially with some home advantage on offer.

They have an impressive 26-14 mark north of the border, which includes three wins from their last four. What a blow that five of their last six fixtures come on the road. Their defence has been ranked in the top three since February began. Toronto will take hope from that – and they beat the Hornets by 12 and 10 points in January.

Charlotte is going down with a fight with three wins from their last four games, yet that hasn’t saved them from elimination. Hammered by 30 by Chicago on Friday, maybe their battles are done. 

Prediction: Under 223 points @ 2.4

Memphis Grizzlies @ Chicago Bulls

Tipoff: 8.30pm Sunday BST (Sky Sports Arena)

Even before Ja Morant returned from his therapeutic hiatus, the Grizzlies had become one of the NBA’s in-form teams. His comeback has not broken that ascent with Memphis taking advantage of a middling strength schedule to win eight of nine ahead of Sunday’s trip to Chicago.

Morant has averaged just 21 points since his restoration, but he has helped the Grizz to the brink of second seed in the West. Over their past five outings, they’re averaging 128.8 points in scoring. Denver’s stumbles and injuries elsewhere have given them an intriguing NBA Western Conference odds of 6.8.

Memphis took the previous clash with Chicago 104-89 in February, but the Bulls, who are clinging onto tenth in the East, are 27-39 when their opponent breaks the 100-point mark. 

Prediction: Grizzlies -6 @ 2.28

Portland Trail Blazers @ Minnesota Timberwolves

Tipoff: 8.30pm Sunday BST

Minnesota is another late bloomer to watch. Fortified by the return of Karl-Anthony Towns after injury, the Timberwolves parlayed a late-February four-game winning streak to move above .500 and turn up the heat on the Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers and the Golden State Warriors above them. However, successive losses to the Suns and Lakers last week all but condemned them to the Play-in. 

The intense jostling for positions in the West remains too close to call and every result matters. The Timberwolves, now 39-39, have winnable games at Brooklyn, San Antonio and New Orleans to finish off this week. 

With Portland now mathematically out of play-in contention following five losses, in which their offense has imploded, under 225 points is perfectively feasible as a consequence. 

Prediction: Timberwolves -13 @ 1.5  

NBA Sunday Tips

Toronto Raptors @ Charlotte Hornets: Under 223 points @ 2.4
Memphis Grizzlies @ Chicago Bulls: Grizzlies -6 @ 2.28
Portland Trail Blazers @ Minnesota Timberwolves: Timberwolves -13 @ 1.5