Everything you need to know about the Raptors play-in game tonight against DeMar DeRozan's Bulls

The Toronto Raptors’ playoff hopes are still alive – but to get there, they’ll have to vanquish a familiar face.

The Toronto Raptors’ playoff hopes are still alive – but to get there, they’ll have to vanquish a familiar face.

They’re set to host former Raptor DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls in their first-ever play-in game at Scotiabank Arena tonight, with hopes of moving on to a second must-win game, which would secure them the final playoff spot in the eastern conference.

Here are five things you need to know about tonight’s do-or-die game.

The NBA play-in tournament is a three-year-old competition which gives the ninth and 10th seeds in the eastern and western conferences a chance to make the playoffs if they’re able to win two-straight single elimination games.

Prior to the tournament’s inception in the 2020-2021 season, only seeds one through eight in each conference made the post-season.

Now, the ninth and 10th seeds in each conference play each other in a single elimination game, while the seventh and eighth seeds also battle it out, with the winner claiming the seventh seed.

The loser then plays the winner of the ninth-10th seed game, and the team that comes out on top claims the eighth and final playoff spot.