Toronto can move on to the next round of the NBA playoffs with a win on Friday night. (Getty)
It’s – possibly – a good day for the entire city of Toronto.
Drake’s new album is out and the Raptors can clinch an opening round victory over the Indiana Pacers tonight. Is there anything more Toronto than this Friday night scenario? Nope.
Of course, Toronto is also dealing with some postseason demons. The Raptors have been consistently disappointing in the playoffs over the last few years and, now, the squad is simply focused on putting all that history behind them.
Keep reading for a breakdown of the matchup, including a look at the odds and live streaming options:
Date: Friday, April 29
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
TV Channel: ESPNEWS & NBATV
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Odds: Indiana – 1.5 via OddsShark
Preview: So, how do the Raptors make sure postseason history doesn’t repeat itself tonight?
They win. Obviously.
Of course, that’s easier said than done. And tonight’s tilt on the road against the Indiana Pacers won’t be easy.
“It’s all about patience,” DeMar DeRozan told NBA.com. “You can’t get flustered, you can’t get frustrated. You’ve got to stay the course. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
Toronto has won just one playoff series, defeating New York in five games in 2001, and the Raptors are determined to get out to a good start in Friday’s Game 6 tilt. After all, they don’t want a repeat of Tuesday night’s dramatic fourth quarter comeback. It made for good TV, but it wasn’t exactly an easy win.
The key, naturally, is to get production out of the squad’s biggest names. DeRozan is riding a wave of recent momentum after breaking out for 34 points in Game 5. Prior to that he was averaging just 13.3 points and shooting 29.6 percent in the first four games of the series.
