The playoffs mean more to teams with impending free agents and the Toronto Raptors have been pulled to the ropes.
A series that was predicted to be an easy step for the Raptors towards challenging the Cleveland Cavaliers turned out to be a serious battle and that has the North battling for survival.
Paul George proved once again that he is a primetime playoff performer as the 7th seed Pacers took a solid stand against the no.2 team. On the other hand, George's counterpart on Toronto has his nerves-and value to the team questioned.
"Is DeRozan just a regular season star?" asked John Schuhmann of NBA.com. He offers a clear perspective on what's at stake.
"The first round series between the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers has become a referendum on the value of DeMar DeRozan, and maybe even a determination of whether DeRozan will remain in Toronto beyond these playoffs," he declared.
There is the lingering question of whether DeMar DeRozan is the long-term answer for the Toronto Raptors and whether he is worth offering a max contract. The situation is complicated since the LA Lakers, the team that DeRozan cheered for while he was growing up in Los Angeles, have declared that they are ready to offer him the max contract.
Of course, the Raptors have all the reasons to do everything to extend their playoff run. The team has yet to make a leap since 2001 when it was Vince Carter vs. Allen Iverson, gaining a reputation as a perennial playoff first rounder.
Kyle Lowry reiterated the team's battle cry on Yahoo Sports.
"We know what it is," Lowry told The Vertical on Yahoo. "We hear it. We've played with the pressure on our shoulders. We've been here three years now. That's the biggest thing: the first round - we've got to get out of the first round. We have to get that monkey off our back."
He concludes: "We have to do this."
The Raptors have one of the better backcourts in the NBA with Lowry and DeRozan but both of them have not shot well this series. This is the highest seed that they have reached but they the Indiana Pacers are one of the most resilient teams in the postseason.
DeRozan, Lowry and the rest of the team should concentrate on the game, but for GM Masai Ujiri, it should not be a surprise if he is already concocting his Plan B. He knows the Lakers threat is real.