The Toronto Raptors (31-22) have a prime opportunity to start a new winning streak, as they're hosting the lowly Indiana Pacers (13-39) on Sunday. The Raptors are a half-game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (31-21) for fourth place in the Eastern Conference, while the Pacers have the NBA's second-worst record.

Plus, there's a chance that Toronto will have all of its main rotation players. Guard Immanuel Quickley (ankle) and center Jakob Poeltl (back) are both "questionable," per the NBA injury report.

Poeltl hasn't played since Dec. 21, and he's the team's only center. Forwards Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili have filled in at the position in the seven-footer's stead, but they're only 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-9, respectively.

Conversely, Quickley has only missed three games this season. The 26-year-old sprained his ankle during Saturday's practice, per Sportsnet's Blake Murphy.

Additionally, two-way guard Chucky Hepburn is listed as out with a G League assignment, while veteran guard Chris Paul is not with the team. The Raptors traded for the latter player on Thursday, but he's not expected to report to the team, via ESPN's Shams Charania.

Toronto can't drop games against bottom-feeders like Indiana if it wants to be a legitimate contender in the East. The team is just a half-game ahead of the sixth-place Philadelphia 76ers (30-22) and three ahead of the seventh-place Orlando Magic (27-24).

The seventh through 10th seeds in each conference compete in the Play-In Tournament at the end of the regular season, so the Raptors would be best off not finishing lower than sixth. They haven't made the playoffs since 2022, so dropping into the Play-In Tournament and losing would be disastrous.

If Poeltl does play on Sunday, it will make Toronto's life on the glass easier. The 30-year-old leads the team with 2.7 offensive rebounds per game and is second with 7.7 average rebounds overall.

The Pacers didn't bother trying to contend this season after star guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder in June. They have no chance of success without the 25-year-old, so they're better off tanking for a high lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. They also traded a top-four protected 2026 selection to the Los Angeles Clippers in a package for center Ivica Zubac, so they'll have a higher chance of keeping that pick the lower they finish in the standings.

In short, Toronto has every incentive to win this game, while the opposite is true for Indiana. The contest will start at 3:00 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena.