Where are Raptors in NBA power rankings after NBA Cup elimination?

The Toronto Raptors are licking their wounds after being eliminated from the NBA Cup.

Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead acknowledges the crowd. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are falling on hard times, losing six of their last seven games.

Despite their recent woes, NBA.com writer John Schuhmann has not changed their placement in his latest power rankings. The team remains at No. 13.

"Despite a big game (including 6-for-8 from mid-range) from Brandon Ingram, the Raptors weren’t very competitive against the Knicks in the NBA quarterfinals on Tuesday. They’ve now lostsix of their last seven games, sliding from second to fifth place in the East," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Raptors have played nine of their last 11 games at home, and they’ll now play five of their next six on the road. They’re 1-4 in the second games of back-to-backs (with anemic offense over those five games) and they’ll have another one (vs. Boston, at Brooklyn) this weekend."

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes hugs New York Knicks guard Josh Hart. | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Raptors stay pat in power rankings

The teams ranked ahead of the Raptors are the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

In order for the Raptors to burst back into the top 12, they are going to need to start getting back in the win column.

It will be tough for the Raptors to win these games on the road, but perhaps that's what they need in order to get back on track. Some trends have suggested the team has not been playing its best basketball as of late.

"Prior to Thanksgiving, the Raptors were 9-1 when they won the first quarter. Since then, they’re 0-3, having had some serious second-quarter issues. Over their four-game losing streak, they’ve lost the second quarter by a total of 52 points (148-96). Their opponents have scored those 148 points despite shooting just 10-for-30 (33%) from 3-point range over those 48 minutes," Schuhmann wrote.

"Over their first 17 games, the Raptors made eight more 3-pointers than their opponents. Over their last nine games, they’ve made 38 fewer 3-pointers than their opponents, and a deficit of 12.7 points per game is tough to overcome, even if Ingram’s mid-range shooting feels automatic at times. They’ve seen a small drop in 3-point rate and shot just 31.7% from beyond the arc over these last nine games."

The Raptors are back in action against the Miami Heat. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.