Who would be the best Play-In Tournament matchup for the Atlanta Hawks?

The Toronto Raptors are still a formidable opponent

It was just a few days ago when the Raptors were in the current Play-In field along with the Hawks. They stumbled out of the blocks after the break going just 2-5 to start. They have since won 8-of-10 and now stand to avoid the Play-In Tournament altogether. Nothing is set in stone, though, and Toronto is clearly no pushover.

They beat the Hawks twice with their length and athleticism posing serious problems on switches. Then, in the third meeting, they stopped switching as much and Young once again went to work dropping 41 points with 11 assists.

That win ensured the Hawks would not be swept and they have a chance to end the regular-season series with a tie with a head-to-head on Apr 5.

It wouldn’t do much good for homecourt advantage and the Raptors own every tiebreaker.

Similar to the Bulls, the Raptors would have to lose five of their final eight contests to slip out of hosting any potential meeting with the Hawks. That could be in the Hawks favor, though, since the Raptors are one of six teams in the NBA to have a better record on the road than at home joining the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Nets in the East.

They have been healthier than the Hawks and just got forward OG Anunoby back from an extended absence that included the last meeting between the two teams. He’s averaging 15.0 points on 50.0 percent shooting and went 53.8 percent from beyond the arc in his last two.

The Raptors have four players shooting above 35 percent from downtown while the Hawks have five if you include Gorgui Dieng.

This could wind up being a very perimeter-based series were it to happen which could lead to the Hawks falling in love with the three-ball, something that has led to poor results this season. In the end, the Hawks ability to penetrate the Raptors defense and Toronto’s willingness to utilize its athletes will determine the outcome.