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As the regular season winds down to a (painfully slow) close, the Toronto Raptors (51-25) are sitting comfortably in the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference. That means tonight's matchup with the Charlotte Hornets won't do much for the Dinos' playoff positioning, but it's the opposite story for the Hornets.
Charlotte (44-32) is currently tied with Miami for the fifth spot in the East and only a half-game behind Atlanta and Boston. Since the boys from "Buzz City" haven't locked up home court advantage, it's quite obvious they have significantly more to play for in this one.
The Hornets have been a revelation this season after suffering through a painful campaign last year. Charlotte is a bit banged up -- Al Jefferson and Nicolas Batum were listed as questionable as of Tuesday afternoon -- but a win north of the border could go a long way in bolstering their postseason aspirations.
Here's some pre-game reading for you:
Raptors HQ's Michael Hoad breaks down each NBA team's most valuable player for Sportsnet.
Nik Valdiserri of At the Hive tees up the contest from a Hornets perspective.
And now it's time to hit the comments. Enjoy the game, everyone.