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It’s been a long season for the 13-30 Toronto Raptors.  Currently on a six-game losing streak and on the tail-end of a brutal five-game road swing with a roster decimated by injuries, the Raptors find themselves headed into Miami for a Saturday night tilt against the HEAT.  One could be led to believe that this team has packed it in for the season and is playing for the largest number of ping pong balls they can get.  Nothing could be further from the truth, at least not yet.

Up until the second half collapse in Orlando on Friday night, the Raptors had lost their previous five games by an average of just five points and that included close games against the Hawks, Hornets, and Spurs.  Toronto has been in a lot of close games against good teams this season.

"It has been up and down with the losing and winning," said Reggie Evans, the Raptors injured rebounding specialist.  "But in the end we are still working hard.  That is the main thing and the key to success."

In the Eastern Conference this season, so far the battle for the final two playoff spots can hardly be called a battle at all.  Charlotte and Indiana are tied for seventh at seven games below .500 and the Raptors find themselves just five games out of a playoff spot.  Of the bottom nine teams in the East, only Charlotte has done better than 5-5 over their past 10 games.  After the top six teams, no one is running away from last in the East.

"That’s the reason you have to hold your head up," said Evans.  "There is a big bright light at the end of the tunnel so if we keep chipping away, good things can happen for us."

"That’s not a little noticed for everybody here," said Head Coach Jay Triano.  "Every day it is in the locker room and it is posted where we are and the schedule will come in our favor eventually and when that happens we have to make the games against those people that we are fighting for that spot count and we have to find ways to win other games along the way."

The Raptors schedule is about to change in their favor.  After Miami, the Raptors play seven non-playoff teams over their next eight games.  This stretch includes four home games, four games against teams they need to pass to challenge for a playoff spot and just one back-to-back.  An extended losing streak over this next stretch of games will all but assure the Raptors of another trip to the lottery.

"I am tired of losing," said DeMar DeRozan after the game in San Antonio.  "It is definitely frustrating.

"We have to keep fighting and try to make a push," said DeRozan earlier.  "We have a lot of games left and we definitely can get a win streak going that would put us in position (to make the playoffs).

"I think it is definitely going to keep going because at this point, we have no choice.  Everybody on this team wants to win and we are all figuring it out as we go along.  We are going to just keep getting better."

DeRozan isn’t alone in expressing belief that the Raptors are not done yet.

"That’s the way the East is going to be," said Andrea Bargnani.  "We are going to have a chance to make it so that is what we are going to use to keep staying positive and keep working and know we at least have a chance."

"We definitely have to think that way," said newcomer Jerryd Bayless. "If we can figure out how to get a couple more wins you never know what could happen.

"I think we are definitely capable of it.  We just have to get it together and keep on working and figure out a way to do it."

{AUTHOR_BOX}Standing in the Raptors way are the same troubles that has plagued this team all season.  Already Toronto has fielded the youngest lineup in franchise history on more than one occasion as numerous injuries have side-lined several key Raptors.  Recently early season deep bench players Julian Wright and Joey Dorsey have found themselves in the starting lineup on more than one occasion.  

"He has been battling with the knees," said Triano about Bargnani.  "They have been bothering him and I think it’s the schedule with as many games as we have had in a short period against tough teams and I have had to extend his minutes.

"He has been hurt all year.  He is going through a little bit of a dry spell scoring-wise and we need that (scoring) right now, especially down as many guys as we are and as many points we have out of the lineup.  We need the guys who are out there to contribute."

To get back into playoff contention, the Raptors will have to overcome adversity, and overcome it soon.

"That’s the NBA for you," said Evans.  "You can’t hold your head down, it all happens for a reason.  It is only going to make us stronger.  We can look at it in a positive way.  You have to go at adversity head on and not run from it.  Challenge adversity and overcome those things.  As long as we look forward and keep chipping away, we will be alright.

"We just have to worry about ourselves, that’s the main thing and it will take care of itself.  We can’t worry about this team winning or that team losing, we just have to worry about the Raptors and how we can get better and win."

Unless the bottom nine teams in the East slide even further into futility than they already have, the Toronto Raptors playoff prospects will be defined by their success over the next couple of weeks.  Anything less than a significant move up the standings probably relegates the Raptors to the lottery before the All-Star break.  

The good news for the Raptors and at least seven other below .500 teams in the East is that so far no one seems all that determined to take the last two playoff spots.