Raptors-Bulls: The Battle For Playoff Seeding Continues Tonight

Where to watch: Sportsnet, 8:00 p.m.

The Raptors head into Chicago tonight looking for their fourth win in five games. Kyle Lowry, who suffered a back injury in Wednesday's victory over the Timberwolves, is traveling with the team, but is 50/50 whether he will play. The good news: there was no structural damage so the injury doesn't appear to be serious. The bad news: back injuries can be tricky, and who knows what other ailments Lowry is dealing with, given that he recently took several games off for maintenance.

The Bulls have their own injury concerns with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. The last time Toronto played at the United Center, they gave up 49 points in the fourth quarter in a 129-120 loss. The Raptors have lost both meetings against the Bulls this season, and currently sit half a game ahead of Chicago for the third seed in the East.

Assuming the Hawks and Cavs finish one-two in the East, the third seed would mean (most likely) a first round matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. Fall to fourth, and the opponent in round one will be either Washington or Chicago.

Of course, at this point, the Raptors have greater concerns than deciding their preference for round one. There are a handful of games left for Toronto to put together a few more wins, and feel good about themselves going into the postseason.

A win tonight would be huge in the standings, but also a boost for the Raptors. Even with a shorthanded team, the Bulls are a formidable foe, and a road victory over them, especially to erase the memories of the last game, would be nice.

Discuss.