Their franchise mythology was baptised in it, if you want to look at it that way. The Raptors were just two years removed from a 16-66 disaster in 1997-98 when Vince Carter lifted Toronto to a 45-win season — the first winning season the Raptors had known to that point — and a playoff date vs. the New York Knicks in 1999-2000. They lost in three games (first-round series were best-of-five at that point) but with Carter emerging as a superstar and rookie Tracy McGrady looking like he had the potential to follow, the afterglow outshone the disappointment.

Seven years later, it was Chris Bosh with help from TJ Ford, Jose Calderon and — yes — Andrea Bargnani who helped the Raptors jump from 27 wins in 2005-06 to a team-record tying 47 wins in 2006-07. A competitive six-game loss to the New Jersey Nets, led by Carter and Jason Kidd, gave hope that something sustainable was building in Toronto.

Seven years after was perhaps the most surprising turnaround of all, as a team that was slated to be disassembled with an eye toward rebuilding through the draft somehow found their feet just as surplus parts were being identified and went on to win a (then) team record 48 games, fueled by Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and … Greivis Vasquez.

Then there was the team that went 48-34 in 2021-22, which is a little bit of an outlier in that the core of the club had helped win a championship in 2018-19 and posted the best winning percentage in franchise history in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season a year later. The season the team spent in Tampa in 2020-21 and tanked their way to the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft — the Scottie Barnes pick — was, at the time, considered an exception. The bounce-back performance in 2021-22 sparked in part by Barnes’ rookie-of-the-year production, welcome as it was, seemed more like a return to form rather than an out-of-nowhere mini-miracle.

Still, individually and collectively, they represent some of the most enjoyable seasons in franchise history. In each case, teams blew past expectations and pulled the franchise out of the bleakness that preceded them.

And here we are again.

The 2025-26 Raptors improved from 25 wins two years ago and 30 last year to win 46 games — the first winning record in four years — and find themselves in the playoffs again. Their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers starts Saturday afternoon.

It’s easy to nitpick how they got here (bludgeoning the NBA’s tanking class made up for their struggles against the league’s upper tier), but standing upright and in possession of the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference after the 82-game marathon that is the NBA’s regular season deserves to be celebrated.

“We knew that the defence was going to be there, we were going to just [be] super physical. Just having talks with the coaches, the organization about what we wanted to do, we felt like we could compete [this year],” said Barnes, the one player more responsible than any other for the Raptors’ rise this year. “We all knew that in training camp, when we came together and talked with each other. That was our goal and it’s great that we went out there and did it.”

And as for being tagged as significant underdogs?

“We’re going to do our job, we’re going to be who we are on the floor,” Barnes added. “That s— don’t matter.

But what we’ll learn over the coming years, and maybe as soon as next week, is whether the roster Raptors general manager Bobby Webster and head coach Darko Rajakovic have fashioned out of the incomplete set of tools left over from their old boss Masai Ujiri is safe for long, fast highway drives, or if the engine light that blinks occasionally deserves more urgent attention.

The sobering glance through franchise history — which isn’t all that different from the intermittent successes of most franchises not in San Antonio, to be fair — is that the hard part isn’t getting a team to the playoffs, it’s getting them there again.

Not to jump ahead of ourselves.

The focus in the third week of April quite rightly should be on whether this version of the Raptors can extend their season into the first week of May. The oddsmakers quite rightly say they can’t, properly dismissing the Raptors’ 3-0 record against Cleveland over a 25-day stretch from Oct. 31 to Nov. 24th when the Cavs were variously injured, disinterested and without James Harden — the 36-year-old star they acquired at the trade deadline in a win-now move that could blow up spectacularly, but more likely helps Cleveland get to the second round in five or six games, and maybe as far as the Eastern Conference Finals.

This collection of Raptors sees themselves as at least the Cavaliers’ equals but there is no debate about which team is under more pressure.

The Cavaliers felt they needed Harden to get them to the NBA Finals — likely their bar for calling this season an unequivocal success given they’ve been aimed at a championship for at least three years now and have yet to advance past the second round. Relying on Harden to make the difference is a choice, given he’s never made the Finals himself, and has a trail of spectacular playoff failures as the only black marks on an otherwise unimpeachable Hall-of-Fame resume.

But that’s their problem.

As much as this return to competitive relevance (barely, given that most NBA prognosticators give the Raptors no chance to advance against Cleveland, and by starting the series early on Saturday afternoon, the NBA itself is signalling no one outside of Toronto and Cleveland is all that interested in finding out for sure) should be enjoyed, whether it’s protein or mostly carbs is still TBD. Are the Raptors at the start of something meaningful that they’ll look back on with pride? Or is this the basketball equivalent of a week at a three-star all-inclusive — fun in the moment but not as much when the memories pop up a year later and the choices made are viewed with sober distance.

History says enjoy it while it lasts. A student of Raptors history knows that most of those surprise seasons ended in disappointment, the fun fleeting.

In a different circumstance, Carter and McGrady should have been the foundation of a decade of championship aspirations, but it flamed out quickly, leaving the Raptors to sort through soggy embers for decades, a never-ending debate about whether it was arson or faulty wiring.

Bosh? He recognized sooner than most that a team with him as the centrepiece wasn’t likely built for long-term success. Two first-round playoff exits were enough for him to head to Miami and a comfortable role as the third Amigo with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Four NBA Finals appearances, two rings and a Hall-of-Fame induction suggest he made the right decision.

The exception was the 2013-14 Raptors, and no one — not even Ujiri, who tried to trade Lowry before his run as the Greatest Raptor of All Time had even started — saw that coming, even after they pushed the veteran Brooklyn Nets to seven games in the first round. Lowry and DeRozan, it turned out, were future Hall-of-Famers and the Raptors were a year away from embarking on a three-year run of talent acquisition that is likely among the best in league history, as they drafted Delon Wright (20^th, 2015), Norman Powell (46^th, 2015), Jakob Poeltl (ninth, 2016), Pascal Siakam (27^th, 2016), and OG Anunoby (23^rd, 2017) while picking, on average, 25th. They also added Fred VanVleet as an undrafted rookie free agent in the summer of 2016.

All of that translated — in a roundabout way — into seven consecutive playoff appearances, nine series victories and the 2019 NBA championship.

The three-star all-inclusive became an annual trip to a luxury resort in the Caribbean featuring Michelin-calibre chefs, wellness coordinators and a wine cellar without price tags.

None of it was predictable back in 2013, but it made for the most compelling and enjoyable stretch in Raptors history.

Thirteen years later, the current edition of the Raptors has their bags packed for Cleveland.

Win or lose, where this latest surprise playoff journey leads is impossible to know for now, but you have to start somewhere.

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The NBA has unveiled its 2026 playoff schedule. Here are all the matchups (all times Eastern):

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors

Saturday, April 18: at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Monday, April 20: at Cleveland, 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 23: at Toronto, 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 26: at Toronto, 1 p.m.
* Wednesday, April 29: at Cleveland, time TBD
* Friday, May 1: at Toronto, time TBD
* Sunday, May 3: at Cleveland, time TBD

No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks

Saturday, April 18: at New York, 6 p.m.
Monday, April 20: at New York, 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 23: at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 25: at Atlanta, 6 p.m.
* Tuesday, April 28: at New York, time TBD
* Thursday, April 30: at Atlanta, time TBD
* Saturday, May 2: at New York, time TBD

No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers

Sunday, April 19: at Boston, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, April 21: at Boston, 7 p.m.
Friday, April 24: at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 26: at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
* Tuesday, April 28: at Boston, time TBD
* Thursday, April 30: at Philadelphia, time TBD
* Saturday, May 2: at Boston, time TBD

No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic

Sunday, April 19: at Detroit, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 22: at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 25: at Orlando, 1 p.m.
Monday, April 27: at Orlando, time TBD
* Wednesday, April 29: at Detroit, time TBD
* Friday, May 1: at Orlando, time TBD
* Sunday, May 3: at Detroit, time TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets

Saturday, April 18: at L.A., 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 21: at L.A., 10:30 p.m.
Friday, April 24: at Houston, 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 26: at Houston, 9:30 p.m.
* Wednesday, April 29: at L.A., time TBD
* Friday, May 1: at Houston, time TBD
* Sunday, May 3: at L.A., time TBD

No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves

Saturday, April 18: at Denver, 3:30 p.m.
Monday, April 20: at Denver, 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 23: at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 25: at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m.
* Monday, April 27: at Denver, time TBD
* Thursday, April 30: at Minnesota, time TBD
* Saturday, May 2: at Denver, time TBD

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers

Sunday, April 19: at San Antonio, 9 p.m.
Tuesday, April 21: at San Antonio, 8 p.m.
Friday, April 24: at Portland, 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 26: at Portland, 3:30 p.m.
* Tuesday, April 28: at San Antonio, time TBD
* Thursday, April 30: at Portland, time TBD
* Saturday, May 2: at San Antonio, time TBD

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Phoenix Suns

Sunday, April 19: at Oklahoma City, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 22: at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 25: at Phoenix, 3:30 p.m.
Monday, April 27: at Phoenix, time TBD
* Wednesday, April 29: at Oklahoma City, time TBD
* Friday, May 1: at Phoenix, time TBD
* Sunday, May 3: at Oklahoma City, time TBD

* if necessary

“It might still go on. It may not,” Kerr said after the Warriors lost in Phoenix and were eliminated from the play-in tournament, marking the fourth time in the last seven seasons that Golden State — which has won four NBA titles with Kerr as a coach — has missed the playoffs.

He shared an embrace with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the team’s two constants from those title runs, in the final moments of Friday night and appeared to mouth the words “thank you.”

Kerr wouldn’t reveal what he said in that moment.

“None of your business,” he said, smiling.

The 60-year-old Kerr just finished his 12th season with the Warriors. He’s 604-353 in that span, led Golden State to the NBA Finals in each of his first five seasons — and once since then as well — plus guided USA Basketball to Olympic gold at the Paris Games in 2024.

He said he’ll meet with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy eventually, to chart a path for what’s next. He suggested that might come in a week or two.

“We’ll talk about what’s next for the Warriors, what the plan is this offseason,” Kerr said. “And we will come to a collaborative decision on what’s next. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I still love coaching. But I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date. there’s a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas and all that.

“And, if that’s the case, then I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in the Bay and to coach Steph Curry, to coach Dray and the whole group.”

The Warriors were 37-45 this season, dealing with injuries the entire way. They rallied Wednesday from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers and move into Friday’s play-in finale, but fell short against the Suns.

And now, the Warriors wait to see what’s next.

“This was as tough a season as you can have, with the injuries, with all kinds of adversity,” Kerr said. “And they battled, and they battled the entire season. They kept going the other night just to, you know, continue the season, to show that kind of fight. And then tonight, we just didn’t have it. But the competitive desire was there. And I’m proud of the group for finishing the season the right way by continuing to fight and trying to win every game.”

“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said Friday. “At the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan and if our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”

Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists while playing in 65 games this season. He turns 35 in June and will enter the final year of a $149.5 million, three-year contract extension that he signed in 2024.

The Clippers would owe him $50.3 million next season, and they can extend his contract for two more seasons after the NBA Finals in June.

After a 6-21 start, the Clippers finished with a winning record (42-40) for the 15th consecutive season. They blew a 13-point lead at home in the final 10 minutes and lost 126-121 to Golden State in a play-in tournament game that ended their season.

Asked about his future Wednesday, Leonard said, “Let me cry about this loss a little bit more. We’ll have our discussions when that time comes.”

Leonard is missing the playoffs for the first time in his career when healthy. In his seven seasons with the Clippers, they reached the Western Conference finals in 2021 and lost in the first round the three previous years.

Also looming over the organization is the NBA’s ongoing investigation involving Leonard’s endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt former team sponsor, Aspiration. An outside law firm is looking into whether the deal was a way for the Clippers to circumvent the league’s salary cap.

“I think that we’re going to be in the clear,” Leonard said Wednesday, “so I’m not stressing it.”

Frank said the investigation, which began in September, had no effect on the season.

“If you know (owner) Steve (Ballmer) and know Steve’s integrity, you know there’s nothing to it,” he said. “We believe and we’ve very confident we’re on the right side of this.”

Even at the team’s lowest point, Frank said, there was never any consideration given to firing coach Tyronn Lue.

“I thought Ty and the staff did an unbelievable job,” he said.

Frank met Thursday with the players and basketball operations team to share his viewpoint on the season. It’ll be another week or so before the team holds individual exit interviews.

“We’re in this bridge period from competitive to get to contender,” Frank said. “We do have great hope and optimism with our future. We’ve put ourselves in a very good position with emerging young players, draft capital and cap space going forward.”

The team’s young returning corps includes Darius Garland, Derrick Jones Jr., Isaiah Jackson and Yanic Konan Niederhauser.

Veteran John Collins is an unrestricted free agent, while Bennedict Mathurin is a restricted free agent. The Clippers hold team options on Kris Dunn, Nicolas Batum, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Brook Lopez, Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders.

“With any roster move,” Frank said, “how does it help us get closer to contention?”

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Schmidt’s family said in a statement that he fought a brain tumour for 15 years “with courage, dignity and resilience… while remaining a role model of determination, generosity and love of life. Oscar leaves a legacy that transcends sport and inspires generations of athletes and admirers in Brazil and worldwide.”

Schmidt is beloved in Brazil for committing to the national team for 19 years and becoming one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history. He also starred in a historic victory over the United States in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games.

“The biggest player of Brazilian basketball history bids farewell as an absolute symbol of sport, the holder of a trajectory that redefined the boundaries of what was possible in a court,” the Brazil Basketball Confederation said in a statement. “His death closes an era. But his greatness remains.”

Chose Brazil over NBA

Schmidt, who never played in the NBA, began his professional career in 1974 and most of it was at home and Italy, where he became a childhood idol of future great Kobe Bryant.

In 1984, the NBA’s New Jersey Nets drafted him in the sixth round, and he trained with them but declined a contract. At the time NBA players were not allowed to play for national teams. Schmidt said he had no regrets at his Hall of Fame induction.

“I was the choice (No,) 144,” he said. His idol, Larry Bird, laughed next to him. “They came to offer me a no-cut contract to play for the New Jersey Nets. I said thank you very much but if I play one game here I will never again play for my national team.

“Three years later we beat the Americans here in the U.S. Sorry, that was the greatest thing I did in basketball.”

Bird released a statement Friday, saying: “I always admired Oscar and considered him a friend. He was, without a doubt, one of the greatest players to ever play the game. It was an honor of a lifetime when Oscar asked me to present him at his well deserved induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. My sincere condolences to Oscar’s family.”

Portland Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter and NBA champion Anderson Varejao, two Brazilians in the league, praised Schmidt while passing along their condolences on social media.

Holy Hand

Standing 2.03 meters (6-foot-8), he was a keen 3-point shooter in the 1980s when many coaches advised against it. That earned him the nickname “Mão Santa” (Holy Hand). Schmidt didn’t believe he was worthy of the tag.

“I don’t have a holy hand. I have a trained hand,” Schmidt used to say in interviews.

He debuted for Brazil at 19 in 1977 and made 326 appearances, averaging 23.6 points per game.

He played in a record-tying five Olympics and four World Cups. He’s the all-time leading scorer in both tournaments. He still has seven of the 10 highest scoring games in Olympic history and he holds the single-game records for points scored in the Olympics (55 vs. Spain in 1988) and World Cup (52 vs. Australia in 1990).

“More than results and medals, Oscar represented values that define the Olympic spirit; dedication, resilience and respect to the opponents,” Brazil’s Olympic committee said in a statement.

The 1987 Pan Am Games victory in Indianapolis marked the first time a U.S. team lost a major international tournament on home soil. Brazil won 120-115 and Schmidt led with 46 points.

Schmidt retired in 2003 at 45. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be the unofficial career highest scorer and his known tally of 49,737 points for club and country was eclipsed by LeBron James in 2024.

Praised by Brazilian president

“For decades, he united the country around the courts with unforgettable shots and indisputable leadership,” Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on social media. “His dedication elevated the name of the country and made him an inspiration for generations of athletes and sports lovers.”

Schmidt was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, and the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

After retirement, Schmidt became one of his country’s most popular motivational speakers. He often talked about his battle with the brain tumour diagnosed in 2011, his love for Brazil and basketball.

Schmidt is survived by wife Maria Cristina Victorino, whom he married in 1981, and two children. One of them, Filipe, spoke about his father’s death on social media.

“Now you rest in peace, dad. You are in the hall of fame of life,” he said.

Immanuel Quickley said that he’ll be available to play in Toronto’s first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers when speaking to reporters on Friday. However, the sharpshooting guard is officially designated as questionable heading into Game 1 on Saturday.

The 26-year-old exited Toronto’s regular-season finale against the Brooklyn Nets last Sunday due to right hamstring tightness and was later announced as day-to-day with a mild hamstring strain.

Quickley played 16 minutes in the first half, putting up four points, two rebounds and five assists. Jamal Shead began the second half in Quickley’s place.

The 26-year-old averaged 16.4 points, a career-high 5.9 assists, four rebounds and 31.9 minutes over 70 games this season.

Quickley’s standout skill is his three-point shooting, and after struggling over the first half of the season at 34.7 per cent from deep, he shot 41.5 per cent over the second half to bring his season mark to 37.4 per cent.

The Havre de Grace, M.D., native battled plantar fasciitis through the final portion of the season, missing eight consecutive games from late March through early April, and was frequently seen in a walking boot.

Toronto begins its first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. It is the Raptors’ first time in the playoffs since 2022.

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The game will be the 35th in Mexico, all since 1992, and the 16th regular-season contest there. Other than the U.S. and Canada, no nation has played host to more NBA games than Mexico.

“Hosting the 35th game in the country reflects the depth of the NBA’s relationship with Mexico and the role this event plays in bringing the global game closer to fans locally, throughout Latin America, and around the world,” said Raul Zarraga, senior vice president of NBA Latin America.

Denver has played in Mexico once before, that being a preseason game against Golden State in Monterrey in 2006. The Pacers are heading to Mexico for the first time, set to become the 23rd NBA franchise to play a game in that country.

The game will be played during the week of the Day of the Death celebrations in Mexico. 

The NBA will also play regular season games in Paris and Manchester, England, next season.

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Doncic, Cunningham win appeals, eligible for end-of-season NBA awards

Doncic played in 64 games and Cunningham played in 63. But the league and the union both agreed that each should be on the ballot based on the “extraordinary circumstances provision” in the collective bargaining agreement.

Doncic — who is one of the favourites to contend for MVP honours after winning the league’s scoring title — missed two games to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia. Cunningham missed 12 games as a result of a collapsed lung that was diagnosed on March 17.

“The NBA and NBPA agreed that, taking into account the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Doncic, each player qualified for awards,” the league and the union said in a statement.

Doncic, in a statement posted to social media, said he is “grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision,” adding that it was important to him “to be present for the birth of my daughter in December.”

“This season has been so special to me because of what my teammates and I have been able to accomplish, and I am honoured to have the opportunity to be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards,” the statement said.

Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, who played in 60 qualified games, also tried to get on the awards ballot through the extraordinary circumstances challenge — but sought his approval before an independent arbitrator. His challenge was denied.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch — noting that Edwards doesn’t get held out to rest — was not pleased about that and said he’d like an explanation.

“I’m not sure why we have a rule if we have an appeal process that is overturned in two-thirds of the cases that were held before,” Finch said. “Feels more like a suggestion than a rule.”

The statuses of Doncic and Cunningham were a major topic toward the end of the season. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama — an MVP candidate and the likely defensive player of the year — got to the 65-game mark in the Spurs’ next-to-last game, and Denver’s three-time MVP Nikola Jokic became qualified for this year’s awards on the final day of the regular season. Jokic has been first or second in MVP balloting in each of the last five seasons and won the league’s rebounding and assist titles this season.

And the union — which worked with the league to come up with the 65-game policy — has said it wants the rule changed, saying it was put into place to address load management and not to keep deserving players from awards. That said, many players have spoken out in favour of the rule.

“I would say it’s an opportunity for us to reevaluate the rule in itself,” NBPA President Fred VanVleet of the Houston Rockets said.

VanVleet — speaking in a video posted by the union and filmed ahead of Thursday’s news — said he thinks voters should be able to make decisions for All-NBA and other awards on a case-by-case basis.

Nuggets coach David Adelman said last week that he hopes the 65-game rule is changed, somehow, this summer. He said if players like Jokic can play 64 games, never wanting to come out, and not be award-eligible, then something is wrong.

“That’s not the spirit of what that rule is,” Adelman said.

A number of players will be ineligible for most major individual awards this season because of the 65-game rule, including the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James — whose 21-year streak of making an All-NBA team will end. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Golden State’s Stephen Curry have also missed too many games to be eligible.

With the decisions on Doncic, Cunningham and Edwards now complete, the NBA sent ballots to the panel of reporters and broadcasters who cover the league on Thursday — a few days behind the typical schedule from recent years.

It’s unclear when the announcement of award winners will begin.

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Thunder secure two first-round picks after play-in results

Warriors keep season alive with play-in victory over Clippers

After Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers from the Play-In Tournament on Wednesday night, OKC now has the right to a 2026 pick swap with the Clippers. They also acquired the 76ers’ first-round pick after Philadelphia beat the Orlando Magic to secure the No. 7 seed in the East.

The Clippers’ pick was acquired in 2019 as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Paul George to Los Angeles in exchange for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and numerous picks.

Depending on the play-in results, the pick could be No. 11 in the lottery if Golden State beats the Phoenix Suns to secure the No. 8 seed, or No. 12 if the Warriors fall short.

The 76ers’ pick had been top-four protected, but now goes to the Thunder as part of a 2020 trade that saw Philadelphia offload Al Horford’s contract to the Thunder in exchange for Danny Green.

The Thunder, who finished the regular season with an NBA-best 64-18 record and are the defending NBA champions, will open its playoff run on Sunday against the winner of the Suns-Warriors matchup.

There’s no need to fear – LeBron James isn’t standing behind that door ready to ball spin and break a collective basketball nation’s heart. It’s nearly one decade later, and a great deal has changed. The Raptors won a championship, James is catching lobs from his son, and about a dozen new catch-all metrics dropped that dubiously distill a player’s worth into a single number.

Fast forward to 2025-26 and the burgeoning Raptors have taken serious strides, discovering strengths and limitations along the way to securing their first playoff berth in four years. And there’s plenty of data to analyze, as Toronto has achieved success in new and intriguing ways.

Unlike the Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan-led squads of the mid-2010s, the Raptors are now a defence-first group that thrives off turning opponents’ misses and turnovers into easy points. They were able to play their game against the Cavaliers in the regular season, sweeping that series 3-0. But those results come with plenty of caveats.

Donovan Mitchell missed one game, Jarrett Allen missed two and Darius Garland missed all three. And of course, Garland’s replacement, James Harden, wasn’t a member of the team yet. Acquiring the former MVP for Garland at the deadline has supercharged Cleveland’s already strong offence. With that in mind, let’s dig deep into five stat trends to watch for the Raptors in the first round, and potentially beyond.

1. The Raptors want to play fast

Toronto’s ability to dictate the pace of play and win the possession battle could define its success in the first round.

The Raptors led in the NBA in fast-break points this season. They ranked third in overall transition scoring. And they did it while ranking in the bottom 10 in transition efficiency over the first five months of the schedule. The Raptors didn’t score well when defences weren’t set; they just faced scrambled defences a lot – the third-most in the NBA.

Toronto fans will know well, but for anyone unfamiliar, the Raptors’ trying to finish odd-man breaks and easy runouts often resulted in a comedy of errors.

Still, they ran the fourth-most frequently off steals and the most frequently off rebounds (according to Cleaning the Glass, which filters out garbage time). Transition chances materialize much more easily off steals than live rebounds – 67 per cent of the time vs. 29 per cent of the time – so this demonstrates their commitment to getting out in transition at every opportunity.

One way they accomplished this was by using a philosophy Darko Rajaković described as “first touch,” meaning that the rebounder immediately looks up court to make a hit-ahead pass to a player leaking out as an outlet. They also have big wings in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, who are capable of both rebounding the ball and pushing. Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili also fit this mould to a lesser degree.

Basically, the Raptors want to play fast.

It’s easy to understand why. Even when the Raptors were finishing at a below-average clip in transition, it was still far more efficient than in the halfcourt. The league average points per 100 transition plays is 125.8. Against a set defence, that number drops to 98.1. Running against a still-recovering defence is always going to be more effective than the alternative, and the Raptors have been among the best teams at creating those opportunities.

The same logic can also be applied going the other way, and the Raptors have been successful here too. They have limited opponents to the second-lowest transition frequency through a mix of curbing turnovers and being extra intentional about tagging up with their man when the shot goes up, as Raptors assistant coach Jama Mahlalela explains.

Moreover, this important element is trending in the right direction for the Raptors on a couple of fronts.

First, their transition finishing greatly improved over the final month of the season, bumping them up to 15th (just above league average at 126.5 points per 100). And while they didn’t convert consistently in their first win over Cleveland, they put up monster numbers of 142.9 and 144.4 in their next two matchups, respectively.

The Cavaliers were also below average at preventing teams from getting out in transition, ranking 18th. They also ranked 18th in opponents’ fast-break points, but have been seventh since adding Harden, mostly due to his ability to limit turnovers as a lead ball handler.

The Raptors’ success here, both recently in finishing and on the season against Cleveland, seemingly bodes well for them. But once again, the Harden caveat looms large.

2. Change of the guard

Even before Immanuel Quickley was plagued by plantar fasciitis and missed eight games down the stretch, the Toronto Raptors had already begun to initiate offence differently.

The most notable example came against the Detroit Pistons on March 15, when the Raptors shook out of their funk of habitually pounding the chalk – Toronto was 4-18 against teams with top-10 records in the NBA to that point, with three of those wins coming over the Cavs – by also breaking a pattern of play and taking down the No. 1 seed.

The Raptors’ crunch-time offence had grown stagnant to that point. Their go-to action was Quickley entering the ball to Ingram in the post after he shook free off a cross-screen. That bore fruit in earlier clutch wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers, but opponents started to sit on it, gum it up, and the Raptors were eventually eating the majority of the shot clock just to get it off.

These forced possessions aside, Ingram’s natural pace is that of molasses. The Raptors’ average possession was nearly a full second longer with the languid wing on the floor (per PBP Stats), the highest mark on the team and nearly four times that of Poeltl, who was second.

Toronto will still rely on Ingram to create plenty of offence, but they seem to be leaning towards having him start with the ball more often, instead of burning clock working to get open. The all-star usually ended up taking on his defender one-on-one either way. In that aforementioned Pistons game, every Raptors starter except for Jakob Poeltl initiated a possession in the final five minutes, with all of them doing it multiple times except for Quickley.

With Quickley’s status now in question due to a mild hamstring strain sustained in the final game of the regular season, it might not matter. And the Raptors did already get practice filling the void at point guard. Barnes averaged 10.6 assists over Quickley’s eight-game absence as the Raptors’ pace shot up by 1.5 possessions per 48 minutes (an eight-spot leap in the leaderboard), and teammates were delivered the ball in more optimal positions to score.

After the Raptors’ second win over the Cavaliers, Ingram told me that Quickley is “able to be at his normal position scoring the basketball, getting into the lane. Still seeing passes, but he’s able to be more of a scorer than (a) facilitator when Jamal (Shead) is out there.”

It was telling that Quickley’s teammate saw him playing a more suitable role when Shead was handling point guard duties. Still, Quickley is Toronto’s most talented three-point shooter; he’s the only player on the team who attempts a high volume of more difficult pull-up triples, accounting for nearly 40 per cent the team’s attempts. Without Quickley, the Raptors have almost no pull-up shooting – eight players averaged more pull-up threes per game than the Raptors did as a team this season.

3. The Raptors have started shooting it

The Raptors have recently spent time without their best shooter, and counterintuitively, their poor three-point shooting has started to turn around.

While they rank among the lowest-volume distance shooting teams in the league, both on pull-ups (4.9 attempts per game, last) and overall (32.1 attempts per game, 26th), Toronto’s efficiency has improved. Pre all-star break, it ranked 25th at 34.4 per cent, and since then, it’s been sixth at 37.7.

The bulk of this can be attributed to Ja’Kobe Walter, who’s been pumping heat to the tune of 47.6 per cent from three on 4.7 attempts per game after the mid-February festivities – over a 12 per cent increase on an additional 1.5 shots. The 21-year-old sophomore has always had quiet and repeatable shooting mechanics, and it appears he’s put it together, while also serving as the Raptors’ best on-ball defender at the point of attack. He stands to play an important role in the series as a hot shooting night, or shutdown defence on Mitchell, could go a long way in swinging a game. If Quickley is unable to go, it’s probable Walter enters the starting five in his place – as he did for seven of the eight-straight games Quickley sat.

Ingram, Mamukelashvili, and even AJ Lawson have also had notable upticks in three-point efficiency post all-star break, albeit on less volume. Outside of his threes, Ingram had one of the most difficult shot diets in the league. In contrast, the Raptors’ role players are given the ball in very specific spots. The vast majority of Walter, Mamukelashvili, and Lawson’s usage came on cuts and spot-ups, which are among the most efficient play types. To their credit, they’ve executed, all posting above-average true shooting percentages. Walter and Mamukelashvili’s were 61 per cent and 63.7 per cent, respectively. Huge numbers.

The Raptors’ role players maintaining this level of shooting efficiency will be important if they’re going to have a chance against the Cavs.

4. Unique success in the clutch

During the regular season, the ability to navigate clutch basketball can swing a team’s record by a few wins. In the playoffs, it could save the season. The 2025-26 Raptors excelled in clutch scenarios, finishing with the seventh-best record (21-14) in games that were within five points in the final five minutes.

They didn’t achieve this result through offence. The poor shooting and static hoops we went over reared its ugly head in these situations more than any other. The Raptors were an average offence all-around (they finished 15th in offensive rating), but ranked 22nd in clutch offence and 23rd in the fourth quarter. Ingram took more shots in crunch time than any other Raptor and had the worst true shooting in these spots of any starter on the team at 46 per cent.

Teams tend to slow down late in close games, playing to avoid turnovers and maximize every possession. Flying directly in the face of the Raptors’ run-and-gun tendencies. Yet part of their successful formula was taking care of the ball, as they ranked in the top 10 in clutch turnover percentage (11.3 per cent). One way Toronto accomplished this was by frequently closing out games with two-point guard lineups featuring Quickley and Shead. The team had a 92nd percentile turnover rate when this pair shared the floor.

The other aspect of the Raptors’ late-game heroics was their outstanding defence, anchored by a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Barnes. Toronto already ranked fifth in defensive rating (112.1), but in the clutch, they leapt up to second (99.1). Barnes has had a tremendous defensive season in general, finishing second to Victor Wembanyama in stocks (steal+blocks) with 230, was the only player with more than 100 steals and blocks, and forced teams to shoot 5.6 per cent worse at the rim when he was on the floor, a 94th percentile mark. This was all punctuated with a league-leading nine blocks in clutch time, including a couple of game-savers.

5. Could they see zone in the playoffs?

The Raptors faced the most zone defence in the NBA this season (h/t Blake Murphy). And for an extended stretch, it was for good reason, as they struggled to solve it.

That was until they had a breakthrough against the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 21, using Scottie Barnes to get middle and pick apart the zone with his surgically precise passing. Toronto most recently saw a significant zone in their two-game set against the Miami Heat – the NBA’s zone leaders – and diced them up. The Raptors scored against the Heat’s zone at 1.13 points per possession, well above league average, eventually dissuading them from using it altogether.

The Cavaliers ranked third in zone usage during the 2024-25 season at 8.6 per cent (per Basketball Poetry), but that number’s been cut in half this season. Considering that Toronto’s had plenty of practice against zones, showed an adjustment and Cleveland’s waning usage, it stands to reason the Raptors won’t be facing zone in the first round as they did in the regular season. But if Quickley’s unable to play and the Raptors’ bench shooters get cold, it could be lurking in the background as a curveball.

One other note on the topic of defensive coverages, it will be interesting to see if the Cavaliers opt to double Ingram. They didn’t during the regular season, instead playing him straight up one-on-one and living with the results of his shot-making abilities. If this continues, a hot shooting series from Ingram could be a big swing for the Raptors.

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But before we get to the main bracket, we must enjoy/endure the play-in tournament — that chaotic little appetizer the NBA inflicts on us every April. Here is a preview of those games, along with the full slate of playoff matchups that will follow.

East play-in

No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic
No. 9 Charlotte Hornets vs. No. 10 Miami Heat

The 76ers are, on paper, the scariest team in either play-in field. Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George — the question isn’t whether the roster can beat anyone; it’s whether it can stay intact for more than a quarter. As for Orlando, the Magic are not built to charm anybody. They are built to slow the pace and turn every clean look into work. That kind of grinding basketball has a way of unsettling teams who’d rather not be bothered. Still, BetMGM has the 76ers as -120 home favourites in the 7-8 game.

The Heat, meanwhile, have made an art form of post-season relevance with far less talent than this. They’ll face a Charlotte Hornets side that plays with the energy of a team with nothing to lose. Charlotte hosts Miami as -220 favourites at BetMGM. But don’t sleep on coach Erik Spoelstra and his squad.

West play-in

No. 7 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers (Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on SN 360)
No. 9 LA Clippers vs. No. 10 Golden State Warriors (Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT on SN 360)

The Suns host Portland as -180 favourites at BetMGM, though, to be candid, neither team has done much to inspire confidence in the final weeks of the season. Meanwhile, the Clippers-Warriors game carries a specific kind of late-era melancholy. The Clippers have watched their championship odds crater after losing Ivica Zubac and James Harden at the trade deadline, but they remain -180 favourites at home against a Golden State team that seems well past its glory days. Steph Curry’s window is closing. Is there one more moment of magic to add to his career highlight reel?

Round 1 match-ups

No. 3 New York Knicks (-300) vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks (+240)

Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and the rest of the Knicks squad (which came within a game of the Eastern Conference Finals last year) are built for high-pressure, grind-it-out post-season basketball. The Hawks at +240 aren’t without intrigue but New York has the depth, the experience and the Madison Square Garden crowd.

No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (-700) vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors (+500)

The Cavaliers are -700 favourites at BetMGM, one of the steepest prices on the board — a reflection of the fact that Cleveland boasts one of the most talent-rich backcourts in the league. The Raptors, however, pulled off a minor miracle just to get here, snagging the No. 5 seed on the final day of the season. Credit where it’s due: Toronto is young, fast, and plays with the carefree confidence of a team that’s ahead of schedule on its rebuild. At +500, they represent one of the more intriguing underdog plays of the first round.

No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. East play-in winner
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. East play-in winner

Boston and San Antonio occupy the same tier of “very good team whose first-round opponent will almost certainly be irrelevant.” With Jayson Tatum back from injury, the Celtics look imposing. They’re the +160 favourites at BetMGM to win the Eastern Conference. The Spurs, meanwhile, have been the most surprising story in the league all season. Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have built something in San Antonio that very few people saw coming this early, and their championship odds have surged from +2500 to +450 over the course of the year.

No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. East play-in winner

The Pistons are the feel-good story of the season. They opened the year at +6600 to win the championship — a true long shot. With Cade Cunningham back and seemingly healthy, Detroit’s depth and cohesion could prove a genuine test for any Eastern rival. Add in the pent-up enthusiasm of Pistons’ fans — who’ve had little to cheer about for more than two decades — and you’ve got the recipe for a deep run.

No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers (+550) vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets (-800)

Well, look at that: The Lakers (the Lakers!) are +550 underdogs at BetMGM, which means that betting $100 on Los Angeles to advance would return $550 in profit. The Lakers still have their history and their logo and their aura, but what they likely won’t have is Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Houston, meanwhile, is a -800 favourite, one of the most lopsided series prices of the first round. Kevin Durant and the Rockets have spent the season constructing exactly the kind of physical, well-coached unit that tends to thrive when the calendar turns.

No. 3 Denver Nuggets (-350) vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (+275)

Here is the series that should be circled on every bettor’s calendar. At -350, Denver is a significant favourite, but the Nuggets’ core has been battered all season with Nikóla Jokić missing the longest stretch of his career, Peyton Watson going down mid-season and Aaron Gordon absent for more than two-thirds of Denver’s games. And yet here they are, a 10-game winning streak in tow, with Jokić averaging a triple-double for the second consecutive season. Can they stay healthy? Even if they can, Minnesota is no pushover: Anthony Edwards is a legitimate star and the Timberwolves’ defence makes life miserable for opponents in ways that don’t always show up on a box score. This could be the series of the first round.

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. West play-in winner

We’ve saved the best for last — literally. The Thunder are the defending NBA champions. They opened the year as the heavy favourite to repeat. And they closed out the season by winning 15 of 16 games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren form one of the most complete trios in basketball, making OKC the +135 favourite to win it all. Thoughts and prayers for whichever play-in team “wins” the right to face this juggernaut.

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Sabrina Walter, his mother, was his driving instructor.

Not: She took her son driving so he could get some practice in.

But actually: She was a driving instructor, at Prosper Driving school in McKinney, Texas, and her then 16-year-old son was her student, practising for his license.

It was the ultimate test of coachability and the willingness to accept your role.

How did it go? Not bad, not bad at all. There were moments when Walter didn’t want to hear exactly what his instructor wanted to say. And moments when the instructor wished the student would nod more and talk less. But they got through it — no small thing as anyone who has experienced the new driver-parent dynamic from either perspective.

Even as a 16-year-old Walter recognized the situation, and made the right read:

“I did what I had to do because I didn’t want to be there any longer than I had to be. I felt like I could drive perfectly fine,” Walter said. “(But) I listened. I kept it simple; I did what I had to do to get out of there. She wasn’t going to let me go otherwise. Two hands on the wheel, speed limit, all that.”

His instructor’s version: “He was teachable. But he would listen sometimes, and then sometimes it was like he already knew everything,” said Sabrina Walter, who did a long list of jobs when her kids were growing up — driving instructor just one of them. “We would be on Lesson 3 out of 7 and it wasn’t going fast enough for him.”

But everyone persevered. Walter took his test with the owner of the school and his mom insisted that he not show any leniency.

And?

“I got 100 per cent on my driving test,” said Walter. “When your mom is your driving instructor, you can’t mess that up.”

As the Toronto Raptors get ready to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first playoff action since 2022, there is good reason the Cavaliers are heavy favourites.

They have the highest payroll in the NBA; Donovan Mitchell is one of the most lethal scorers in all of basketball, with multiple 50-point playoff explosions to his name; James Harden remains as skilled a half-court operator as ever; Evan Mobley is one of the league’s best defenders; and on and on.

But in addition to having a 3-0 regular-season record against Cleveland to bolster their belief, the Raptors can gain confidence from the way their roster has developed over the course of the season. Sure, the Raptors’ fortunes will likely rise or fall on the performances of all-stars Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, but the season-long progression of youngsters such as rookie Collin Murray-Boyles and Walter, the second-year wing from just outside of Dallas, has the Raptors entering the playoffs as the deepest and most versatile version of themselves seen this season.

It’s a welcome development, if a tad unexpected. Murray-Boyles was an unproven commodity out of training camp without a defined position as the No. 9 pick in the draft. And Walter? He was third — if not fourth — among a crowded collection of wings the Raptors had set up to compete for minutes off the bench. He didn’t even start in the Raptors’ intrasquad scrimmage at the end of training camp in Calgary, and was DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) in the second and third games of the season.

But coming into his first playoff series, Walter has very definitively figured it out. The 21-year-old who shot 34.1 per cent from the college three-point line during his one season at Baylor and 34.9 per cent from the three in his first NBA season has turned himself into a lethal threat from distance. He led all Raptors regulars in three-point percentage on the season at 40.9 per cent, and from the all-star break on, he shot a blistering 47.6 per cent from three, second in the NBA among all players with at least 100 makes.

He’s done it while establishing himself as a legitimately pesky on-ball defender, and a dangerous off-ball bandit. His 73 steals were fourth overall in the Raptors ball-hawking lineup, but when playing time is factored in, Walter led Raptors regulars in thefts with 1.8 per 36 minutes, well ahead of Barnes’ 1.5.

It’s all translated into Walter fulfilling a role the Raptors were desperately in need of filling going as the season got underway: A floor-stretching wing who could make threes and be a plus defensively. Every team needs them — the Raptors more than most, given they ranked 29th in three-pointers made a year ago. If form holds, the Raptors will count themselves lucky to find just such a contributor in Walter, who they took with the 19th pick in the 2024 draft, and the Cavaliers will be lucky when he’s not on the floor.

“We all know he’s been great defensively for us,” Barnes said, as the regular season was winding down and more of his assists were coming off Walter’s hand for three. “Being able to put pressure on the ball, turning guys, trapping guys, helping us get out and run, but his shooting is just something that we need on our team, and he’s been on fire. Each shot he takes, it feels like it’s going in and he’s been super important for our team. Sometimes, we get in these ruts where we’re not making shots. But we can count on him to play defence and make shots.”

The irony is that an off-ball, ‘3-and-D’ wing was never a role Walter had played before in his career. He led Baylor in scoring as a freshman, was a McDonald’s all-American coming out of high school and was the best player on his AAU team before that. Even last season with the Raptors very much rebuilding, Walter was getting more opportunities with the ball (his usage rate fell from 18.4 per cent to 14.0 this year) and taking more shots when he had it (from 7.6 per game compared to five) than he has in his second season.

But with the addition of Ingram and pushing for the playoffs an organizational goal, roles shifted this year. Walter adapted seamlessly. It’s a quality his teammates have noticed.

“He’s got this ability to just be a gamer, to have a certain level of competitiveness,” said Garrett Temple, the Raptors 17-year veteran and in-house mentor-at-large. “His ability to take coaching is very old school, and he’s very low maintenance. It’s, ‘Yes, sir.’ Whatever you tell him to do, it’s, ‘I’m on it.’”

Said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic: “He’s a such a great kid and such a competitor, he’s very, very easy to coach, you know? You tell him something one time, he takes that very seriously and he’s trying to apply it right away.”

It’s no small thing. One of the challenges for young players coming into the NBA is recognizing that the game they played with a full heart for all their years has instantly become a job. Which doesn’t mean that the love of the game automatically wanes, or the passion for personal development or goal chasing should stop. Quite the opposite: Standing still in the NBA is an invitation to get churned out of the league as fast as you arrived.

But the job part — which is probably the most relatable element of life in the most gilded league in sports — is that very few players get to play in the NBA the same way they did when they were striving to earn one of the 450 regular roster spots league-wide, or exactly how they want to play. That’s some of what is bundled into ‘figuring it out’ — the catch-all phrase that so often summarizes young players adapting, or not, to NBA requirements.

For Walter, it was baked in.

“It’s the way my parents raised me,” he said. “I’ve always respected people that have authority over you, and was kind of listening all the time, and I think that’s kind of made me the player I am now.”

Of all the skills that can get a player into the NBA, the one that can be make-or-break as far as them cracking a roster or staying on the floor, being coachable is near the top of the list. Walter has never not been an elite basketball prospect. He was AAU teammates with Bronny James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Ron Holland of the Detroit Pistons, among other big names. And like any teenager, he remembers the thrill of seeing his highlights coursing out across social media. But somehow as he made his way through the ego-driven gauntlet of elite youth basketball, Walter was able to recognize that a team game didn’t automatically revolve around him.

George Clay thought he was done with coaching summer basketball until he saw a pick-up run where a skinny Grade 9 kid was, in his words, “doing special things.” He introduced himself to Walter’s mom, Sabrina, and his father, Eddie Walter. They hit it off, and Clay ended up coaching Walter for three summers.

“Ja’Kobe was always a kid that could impact the game without having to score,” said Clay. “Now, he was a heck of a scorer, don’t get me wrong. But he knew he could do other things, whether it was shutting down the other team’s best player, and even as your best player, he’s the one diving on the floor for a loose ball, getting a steal or an extra possession. He took a lot of pride in all the areas of his game, versus feeling like — even though he was our best player — feeling like he had to act like that. He did all the little things that kind of mattered and helped us win.

“It’s very, very refreshing to have a guy that knows that there’s more to basketball than scoring a bucket, right?”

For Walter, there was never much of an option. His father, Eddie, played NAIA basketball at Birmingham-Southern, in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala., though judging by his shoulders, you might have guessed Division 1 football. Shake his hand and you’re thinking if rock-crushing was a sport, he’d be good at that.

“He a definitely no-nonsense guy, you know,” said Clay, who remains close with the Walter family. “Great guy, one of my close friends, but definitely no-nonsense.”

He was Walter’s first coach, and his first lessons weren’t that complicated: “I’m all about defence, that’s just me,” said Eddie, who set the school record for steals at Birmingham Southern, and works as a utility repairman since he moved to the Dallas area after university. “And be the best teammate you can be and always try to make the right passes. That was me growing up, and I wanted to instill that in Ja’Kobe.”

The other? “Don’t be complacent. Don’t just go the gym, stay in the gym and work on your craft.”

Message(s) received. One of Clay’s preferred memories of Walter came at the end of their AAU run together at the Adidas circuit championships. They were playing in a closed gym with no college coaches on hand and, in any case, Walter had long ago signed with Baylor. There was nothing at stake other than bragging rights. And yet Walter was throwing himself around, diving on the floor, drawing charges and imploring Clay to press to make up a 15-point deficit before he hit the game-winner.

“I mean, he’s just a competitor,” said Clay. “And I think that’s the one thing that everybody started seeing about him.”

Walter remembers the game, but to him it’s not that noteworthy. Why wouldn’t he play that way? It’s his way. It’s only now that he’s been able to see it how others do.

“You know, I’ve never understood until, probably — truly — this year,” he told me. “But I’ve always been a player that played hard no matter what the situation was, and I really don’t know how to play a different way. I feel like I play the game to win, regardless, so I don’t ever have to put myself in that mindset of playing hard. When there’s a loose ball, obviously you’re supposed to go get the ball. For me, there’s never been anything else. You put your body on the line, you take the charge, dive on the ball and play defence. So that has pretty much helped me to where I am right now. I feel like that mindset alone got me very far in my career.”

The beginning of this season was the first time Walter’s approach didn’t seem to be delivering the results he’d come to expect for himself. Even when he started getting some playing time, it was coming in dribs and drabs, fits and starts. Over a two-month stretch early in the season that included seven games starting in place of a then-injured RJ Barrett, Walter struggled to find a rhythm. He had company in that respect — Gradey Dick or Ochai Agbaji hadn’t exactly taken the job by storm either. Through Jan. 1, the trio was collectively shooting 30 per cent in 53 shared minutes per game.

It wasn’t exactly how Walter envisioned his second season unfolding. But he didn’t overreact. He stayed steadfast in his habits — Walter looks for opportunities for extra work in every crevice of the schedule, routinely staying late after practice or shootarounds on the road, or coming back later in the day or evenings when the Raptors are at home. He aims for 1,500 made threes per week. And his pre-game routine doesn’t vary: Sixty made threes off the catch and 90 off movement, with special attention paid to his balance and footwork. And he also took a step back to consider the context.

“I was talking with coach Jimbo (long-time Raptors assistant Jim Saan, who oversees the Raptors development program) and he was telling me about working with dudes like (former Raptor and now Miami Heat all-star) Norman Powell, and how (Powell) didn’t have everything given to him and he wasn’t the player then he is right now,” said Walter. “But that he would always stay consistent and keep working. And after hearing that, I did a little bit of research, looking at different players and how their careers went, and they weren’t always the players they are now, you feel me? And when you understand the league, you know it made sense in my head.

“When you come in as a young guy, you’re not always going to have that role (that you want), so you have to do the little things. And when I changed that mindset, I never really had that bad feeling about going to the games, or I never really got down on myself, because I just understood that this is part of it and it’s all going to come around.”

But Walter hedged his bets. A 21-year-old millionaire has a lot of options to consider with a week of vacation staring him in the face, but Walter wasn’t tempted by any of them. During the all-star break, he headed home to McKinney and put himself through full days of workouts at his old high school with Clay. Shooting, conditioning, weightlifting — no steps were skipped.

His efforts didn’t go in vain. Just before the all-star break, the Raptors had traded Agbaji and shortly after that, Dick fell out of what was becoming a tighter rotation after the all-star break.

Walter’s climb up the depth chart was complete.

Over the last 15 games of the season, Walter averaged 26.6 minutes per game of almost exclusively positive basketball. He shot 53.8 per cent on more than five threes a game, but just as important made only eight turnovers while accumulating 16 steals, and did it against the best competition.

The Raptors lost on the road against the surging Boston Celtics on April 5, but Walter — starting with Immanuel Quickley sidelined at the time with a foot injury — finished with 16 points, was 4-of-5 from three and had two steals, one each from Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum. Those who know him best suggest that Walter eventually emerging from the pack and earning his way into a crucial role for the Raptors wasn’t a matter of if, but when.

“Anytime there’s a competition, I’m putting my money on Ja’Kobe for those minutes,” said Clay. “So it doesn’t surprise me at all because I feel like if there’s fair competition, he’ll win.”

It’s all made for an exciting spring for the Walter family. Walter’s older sister, Nikira, will graduate from her Master’s program in statistics from Columbia on Sunday, May 17, so if the Raptors happen to have a playoff game that day, his mom and dad will have to miss it. A good problem to have. But they’ll be there this Saturday as their son makes his NBA playoff debut, eager as everyone else to see how the Raptors match-up against Cleveland.

It’s a special feeling seeing your child succeed in any context, carrying the values you tried to infuse them with on the brightest stages. The Walters are doubly blessed in that respect, and although they’ll acknowledge that while they can trace where their son’s basketball acumen comes from, having a daughter poised to pursue a PhD in math is something that falls more into the ‘your kids can surprise you’ category.

But having seen enough of both of their kids’ progress over the years, that their son has arrived in this place — succeeding in his role, even if it’s not the role he was accustomed to before stepping into the NBA — isn’t something he could have envisioned.

“That’s what he does, this is him,” said Sabrina of her son’s ability to adapt and thrive. “At some point or another, he’s going to excel like he wants to, and we want him to. But I don’t worry about it. For sure I don’t, because that’s just how he is.”

Take it from Mom, take it from his former driving instructor: the Raptors’ young wing is licensed to drive, and driven to succeed.

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Whether that’s a pair of sub-.400 seasons leading into this one, or a 2025-26 campaign that felt as start-stop as the Gardiner Expressway will this summer. Through it all, the Raptors kept nudging forward.

Now that Toronto has pushed past the congestion, the next objective will be navigating the middle lane as the fifth seed — undoubtedly hoping to leave much more than just the last couple of seasons behind them.

A first-round matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers carries plenty of history, none of which ought to be remembered fondly. Toronto is a combined 2-12 all-time against Cleveland through three playoff series, including back-to-back sweeps (2017-18). And while franchise tormentor LeBron James won’t be taking part this time around, there will be another James (Harden) the Raptors have to deal with.

The 11-time all-star has his own history against Toronto, beating the Raptors in six games the last time they made the playoffs in 2022 (also as a fifth seed). Harden was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers at the time, joining the team via mid-season blockbuster trade. Sound familiar?

How the Raptors deal with the savvy playmaker is one of multiple key factors that could determine this year’s four-five series in the East. With that being said, here are six key matchups to keep an eye on once action begins on Saturday.

Scottie Barnes vs. Evan Mobley

It’s no secret that there’s little to gather from the Raptors’ regular-season sweep (3-0) of the Cavaliers, given all those games were before the calendar flipped and Harden joined the fold. Since adding the veteran guard, Cleveland has boasted the fifth-best record, fourth-best offence and in many ways fundamentally changed how they operate.

But if there’s one matchup we saw plenty of through the season and should expect more of, it’s the 2021 draftees going head-to-head. In fact, since Barnes and Mobley entered the league, they’ve guarded each other more than anyone else (per databallr.com) — over 300 possessions each.

Just this season, both rank top three among each other’s defensive assignments. Barnes has guarded Mobley for over 22 minutes through three games, while Mobley has defended Barnes for nearly 16 minutes. A matchup becomes more complicated now that Harden is in the mix (more on that later).

Neither has particularly dominated the head-to-head battle, but that’s more a testament to both players’ defensive prowess than anything else.

It’s also worth noting that the Raptors have been more committed to keeping Barnes on Mobley — he’s stuck with the Cavs forward for nearly 40 more possessions — than the other way around. And while Mobley did shoot 60 per cent against Barnes this season, he took just 10 shots through three games and committed five turnovers, albeit on eight assists. In some ways, Mobley’s passiveness on offence has been part of why the Raptors like the matchup, as it allows Barnes to help off of Mobley and plug holes elsewhere. Barnes, meanwhile, shot 7-of-16 (43.8 per cent) in the matchup and maintained a 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Whichever uber-talented forward can shake free of the other will likely end up having more to say this series.

Starting units: Raptors continuity vs. Cavaliers productivity

While Cleveland has been a force since adding Harden, the sample size is unquestionably small.

The foursome of Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Mobley and Jarrett Allen — practically locks to be starters in this series — have played just 92 minutes over seven games this season, per NBA.com’s John Schuhmann, and were a stellar plus-26.7 in that span.

As for who the fifth starter might be, it’s a guessing game. Max Strus and Dean Wade seem to be the likeliest candidates (possibly Sam Merrill), depending on who Kenny Atkinson thinks can do more damage against Brandon Ingram. Starting lineup combos that include the aforementioned four and one Strus, Wade or Merrill (who have all filled in routinely) have been, at worst, net-neutral, and in some cases downright dominant. Yet the sample sizes for those five-man combinations are even smaller, each with less than three-quarters-worth of experience together.

As for the Raptors, continuity has been a defining trait for their starting unit. The combo of Barnes, Ingram, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl has logged the eighth-most minutes (354) of any starting group this season. There’s a clear chain of command and the group is battle-tested, at least through the regular season. Yet of the eight five-player lineups to log at least 350 minutes together, Toronto’s plus-7.6 net rating is the second lowest.

Will the Raptors’ stability win out, or will the fluidity of the Cavaliers’ starting unit prove too much to keep up with?

Jakob Poeltl vs. Jarrett Allen

With so much firepower and top-end talent to fixate on this series, the battle in the trenches may go unnoticed, but it’ll be an important one. And to little surprise, that matchup will be defined by Poeltl and Allen.

Although the duo of lumbering bigs only went head-to-head once this season due to injuries (both played fewer than 60 games), they were top three among each other’s most popular defensive assignments last year — Poeltl was Allen’s No. 1 matchup. Each guarded the other for over 100 possessions in 2024-25, so there should be plenty more of that in store during the playoffs.

The Raptors will hope for more of what they got from Poeltl in his lone appearance against the Cavs this season, when he put up 20 points (7-of-10 shooting), seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. As for Allen, he finished with six points, eight rebounds, a steal and a block in 21 minutes in a 13-point loss.

Both teams like to control the paint — the Raptors and Cavaliers are each ranked top 10 in average paint points scored and fewest paint points allowed since the Harden trade — and a lot of that comes down to rim protection on defence, rim pressure on offence and winning the rebounding battle on both ends (all of which the Raptors did well during the season series). The kind of stuff quality centres tend to help with.

Brandon Ingram vs. Kenny Atkinson

It doesn’t feel like a coincidence that, upon adding Ingram, the Raptors featured a top 10 half-court offence for the first time since the 2018-19 championship season (per CleaningTheGlass). In fact, it’s Toronto’s first non-bottom-10 half-court offensive showing after five seasons.

At first glance, the correlation may not seem obvious, considering Ingram’s minus-2.7 on/off rating in the halfcourt is the lowest among team starters. But it’s more about his impact than his individual production, as Ingram has been a rising tide that’s lifted the Raptors’ potential against set defences.

He takes on more half-court possessions for Toronto than any other player, sometimes by design and others by his own tendencies, and thanks to his mid-range wizardry, Ingram attracts attention like a magnet in a box of screws. The NBA defines defensive pressure drawn by a player above expected in situations as “gravity.” And in terms of gravity minutes accumulated — meaning minutes drawing extra defensive attention — Ingram ranks sixth in the NBA. Zoom in on interior gravity minutes, and only Alperen Sengun and Nikola Jokic have drawn more defensive pressure inside than the Raptors’ top bucket-getter.

All of which has led to less individual impact for Ingram in the halfcourt but opened up teammates to thrive in more suitable roles, like Barrett, who’s plus-9.2 on/off against set defences not only leads the Raptors but also ranks 98th percentile in the NBA.

Which leaves Atikinson the unenviable task of figuring out how to stop Ingram. Because if the Cavaliers send multiple bodies his way, expect plenty of looks for others. Not to mention the fact that Cleveland’s most frequent matchups for Ingram this season — De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball — are no longer on the team.

And if he’s left one-on-one with the likes of Wade or others, the two-time all-star will probably end up scoring north of 22 points per game as he did through three outings against Cleveland this season.

Donovan Mitchell vs. (Insert Raptors guard here)

The 29-year-old has been among the NBA’s most prolific scorers since joining the NBA, and that hasn’t changed in Year 9. Mitchell was third in the East with 27.9 points per game this season, an average just shy of his 28.3 points in 63 playoff games. He’s also chipped in 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals through 70 regular-season appearances.

Add the fact that Mitchell’s 31.3 per cent usage rate is sixth-highest in the league, and there’s no way to avoid his impact on this series.

Which is why the Raptors will need a do-it-by-committee approach to handle the seven-time all-star because no one defender can shut Mitchell’s taps off. Expect Quickley and Barrett to both see time against the Cavs superstar — presumably more Quickley since he’s been the better defender and is more effective chasing around off-ball screens.

It’s worth noting, however, that no Raptor spent more time guarding Mitchell this season than Jamal Shead, who did it for nearly 11 minutes, despite Quickley taking part in all three matchups. In fact, second on that list was Ja’Kobe Walter. The sophomore guards spent just over 81 collective possessions defending Mitchell and held him to a human 10-of-23 shooting, four assists and three turnovers. Undoubtedly small samples, but with how much will be asked of Quickley and Barrett offensively, expect Shead and Walter — arguably Toronto’s best screen-navigator on the perimeter — to see plenty of time matched up with Mitchell.

James Harden vs. Darko Rajakovic

The biggest wrinkle in the series will be how the Raptors’ third-year bench boss approaches the Harden of it all.

And it’s safe to say he’s not found many answers for the matchup leading into the series. In five games against the Raptors since Rajakovic took over (admittedly, all with the Los Angeles Clippers), Harden has averaged 23.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 9.6 assists.

Where things get even trickier is that the Raptors have primarily leaned on Barnes to stick with Harden. Just this season, Barnes spent a team-high six minutes on Harden in their lone matchup (pre-trade) and held the veteran to 4-of-10 from the field (0-of-5 from deep). In fact, the only other player the 24-year-old has spent more than 300 possessions guarding throughout his career is Mobley. How will Rajakovic manage that with Harden and Mobley now on the same team? Not to mention it’ll have to happen while trying to keep tabs on Mitchell.

The Raptors may have no choice but to rely on a sub-par defender in Barrett or a sophomore in Walter to eat minutes against Harden, or ask rookie Collin Murray-Boyles to spend time on Mobley to free up Barnes defensively. (A.K.A. Rock meets hard place.)

On the other side of the floor, it’s no secret that Harden’s no shutdown defender himself. And while he’s boosted the Cavs offensively, it doesn’t feel like a coincidence the team’s defence has slipped closer to bottom 10 than its middle-of-the-pack ranking before the trade.

And as far as reputations go, if the Raptors want to test whether Harden has truly overcome his playoff-shrinking days, forcing him to defend will be part of the process. Whether that’s by hunting mismatches for Barnes and Ingram or Quickely and Barrett attacking him off the bounce. It’ll be on Rajakovic to make sure Harden doesn’t get to hide on defence and catch his breath.

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Canada’s basketball team will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs in a No. 4-seed versus No. 5-seed matchup.

First-round action begins on Saturday, and fans can watch Game 1 between Toronto and Cleveland on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+ starting at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Game 3 will also be on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+ starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Games 5 and 7 would also be on Sportsnet.

It’ll be the fourth series all-time — and fourth since 2016 — between the Eastern Conference rivals. The Raptors will hope to change their fortunes against the Cavaliers, however, as Toronto enters the series with a 2-12 playoff record against Cleveland all-time, including back-to-back sweeps in 2017 and ‘18.

Thankfully, there’ll be no LeBron James to deal with this time around, but there will be James Harden, who the Raptors faced when they last made the playoffs four years ago, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, also in a four-five matchup.

This go around, it’ll be a battle between Toronto’s No. 5-ranked defence and Cleveland’s No. 6 offence.

The full schedule for the Raptors vs. Cavaliers first-round series is below:

Game 1: Saturday, April 18 at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Game 2: Monday, April 20 at Cleveland, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Thursday, April 23 at Toronto, 8 p.m.
Game 4: Sunday, April 26 at Toronto, 1 p.m.
* Game 5:Wednesday, April 29 at Cleveland, time TBD
* Game 6: Friday, May 1 at Toronto, time TBD
* Game 7: Sunday, May 3 at Cleveland, time TBD

* if necessary
All Times Eastern

However, Harden still has a glaring omission on his resume — a championship ring.

Harden sees his mid-season trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers as his best opportunity yet for a post-season run culminating in an NBA title.

“It’s the truth. That’s why I’m here,” Harden said about the narrative of doing everything but winning a championship.

The Cavaliers open the NBA playoffs on Saturday when they host the Toronto Raptors. Harden has 90 playoff wins, second among players who have not won a championship. Karl Malone is atop the list with 98, but Harden could surpass him if Cleveland reaches the Eastern Conference finals.

Harden has played in 173 post-season games, third among players who haven’t won a championship. Malone is at 193, and John Stockton is next with 182.

The closest Harden has come to a championship was when Oklahoma City reached the NBA Finals in 2012, losing to the Miami Heat in five games. He reached the Western Conference finals with the Houston Rockets in 2015 and ’18, only to be knocked out by the Golden State Warriors.

“Run up against a dynasty, injuries. It’s a part of the game, though. … I don’t dwell on it. I don’t think back. It’s a part of it. It’s life,” Harden said. ‘I’m sure we all could look at ourselves and think about certain things that happened over the course of our life that just didn’t go our way and feel bad about it, feel sad about it. I don’t think like that. I just keep pushing.”

Harden’s last two trips to the post-season were with the Los Angeles Clippers and ended with first-round exits.

The Feb. 4 trade to Cleveland paired Harden with Donovan Mitchell, who also has experienced his share of post-season heartbreak. Mitchell is looking to reach a conference final for the first time in his nine-year career.

Harden is averaging 20.5 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in his 26 games with the Cavaliers, who are 19-7 when “The Beard” is in the lineup. He is fourth in the league in assists (8.0), and his 23.6 points were 17th in the regular season. It was also his highest scoring average since 2020-21.

Coach Kenny Atkinson described Harden as a teacher in describing his impact on the team in a short time.

“He’s very bold, extroverted in talking with those guys, and it’s a huge help. He knows the things I don’t even see all the time,” Atkinson said.

“He’s like ‘Hey, they’re going to send Don left, can we flip the screen at this angle?’ and ‘Can we move the ball over to this side of the court so we’ve got more space to take away their gaps?’ I think he translates that message to the coaches and players,” Atkinson said.

The biggest question for Cleveland going into the playoffs is if its core four of Harden, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have had enough time together?

With just seven games and 92 minutes together, the quartet has delivered impressive results — outscoring opponents by 26.7 points per 100 possessions — but it has been a short stretch.

“We know the talent is there, but the problem is, when you don’t have a lot of chemistry going into high-stress situations like the playoffs, and against a team like Toronto who, I mean, let’s face it, they’ve got some guys that get after you — Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram — they understand the gravity of it all and they play hard, they play together,” NBC Sports analyst Reggie Miller said.

Harden isn’t concerned about the lack of minutes with his teammates, noting that Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen have played together for four seasons.

“It probably took me a game or two just to figure out where they like the ball and what to do, what not to do, and so I’m pretty familiar,” Harden said. “In the post-season for the most part, they’re going to guard you one way until game three, maybe game four, and make an adjustment. We’ll figure out what works, figure out how they guard us, and then talk about how we can adjust and counter them.

“So I’m not really worried about the (lack of) minutes. I’m more focused on us and our operations and our force against their defence.”

“Yeah, I anticipate Brian Keefe to be here,” Dawkins said Thursday at his end-of-season news conference.

Keefe took over in the middle of the 2023-24 campaign, replacing Wes Unseld Jr. That was Washington’s first season under its new front office led by Michael Winger and Dawkins. The team eventually took off Keefe’s interim tag.

But the Wizards haven’t been built to win right away under Keefe. He went 8-31 in that first season, then 18-64 in 2024-25. This season Washington lost 26 of its last 27 games to go 17-65, ending any danger of the Wizards losing their first-round draft pick if it wasn’t in the top eight. It’s the first time since 1967 — when the franchise was the Baltimore Bullets — that the team finished with the league’s worst record.

“We put him in a situation this season which was a little difficult,” Dawkins said. “We led the NBA in starts for players under 21. I think we had 50-plus different starting lineups. So we threw a lot at him.”

But soon, Washington hopes to turn the focus away from collecting picks and lottery odds and improve its performance on the court. There were certainly some steps in that direction this season, when the Wizards traded for both Trae Young and Anthony Davis, although Young played only five games for them and Davis didn’t play any. If both are healthy next season, Washington could be improved.

The league said Ball made “unnecessary and reckless contact” with Adebayo on Tuesday night. Ball was fined $60,000 for the foul and for using profanity in an interview, but he remains eligible to play in the Hornets’ elimination game Friday against Orlando.

The flagrant foul from Tuesday’s game, if called in real time, would have resulted in Miami being awarded two free throws and possession of the ball. The Heat wound up losing 127-126 in overtime, ending their season.

The NBA said a flagrant foul, penalty two, was merited. If that had been called, Ball would have been ejected.

Adebayo was hurt early in the second quarter and did not return, leaving Miami without its best player. Ball made the decisive layup for the Hornets in overtime.

While he lauded the way Charlotte played, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said he felt Ball should have been ejected and wondered how officials Zach Zarba, Curtis Blair and Gediminas Petraitis all missed the incident.

“I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys, shenanigans,” Spoelstra said. “Curtis was there. It’s his responsibility to see that. And if it’s not his responsibility, then Zach’s got to see it. Somebody’s got to see that. He should have been thrown out of the game for that. I don’t know him from anyone. There’s no place in the game for that.”

Per NBA rules, the Heat could not challenge the ruling on the play because no foul was called. Play continued, leaving no opportunity for a replay review.

“The play wasn’t whistled in real time,” Zarba told a pool reporter. “Play continued with a fast break. And because play wasn’t stopped immediately, and there was no whistle on the play, the window to review the play was closed.”

Ball was fined $35,000 for the foul on Adebayo. He was fined $25,000 for using profanity in an on-court post-game interview. The league did not publicly address a separate incident where Ball struck Charlotte’s mascot during the post-game celebration.

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Embiid had been absent since his emergency appendectomy last week and the Sixers thought it would lift his spirits if he was part of their playoff push. Unsure of his answer hours ahead of tipoff Wednesday night against Orlando, Embiid surprised his teammates by walking into the locker room about an hour before the game. He provided an emotional boost to Maxey and the Sixers just by showing up.

“I gave him a big hug,” Maxey said. “I was glad to see him.”

Maxey took over in the fourth quarter, much the way Embiid did in so many crucial games over the years.

Maxey scored 31 points, and V.J. Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds in the Sixers’ 109-97 win over the Magic that gave Philadelphia the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Sixers begin their first-round series Sunday at Boston.

Maxey, named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career, scored seven straight points late in the fourth to help the Sixers put away the Magic.

“It was just me deciding I wanted to be aggressive,” Maxey said. “I had some really good looks that I missed early in the third, that I made in the first half. So I was just really confident I was going to make some shots.”

Maxey — the Sixers’ career three-point leader — hit three threes and made 11 of 25 shots as the Sixers made the playoffs a year after they went 24-58.

“He’s been doing a bit of that lately as far as understanding we need kind of his greatness at the right time,” coach Nick Nurse said.

The Sixers had leaned on Embiid’s greatness over the years — but also came to understand that playing without the oft-injured former MVP is part of the deal in Philadelphia.

The team hasn’t given a timetable for Embiid’s return from his appendectomy. The two-time scoring champion sat in on a video session Wednesday and watched the game from the bench.

Maxey is going to need to excel for the Sixers to have a shot against the Celtics.

Sixers fans chanted “We want Boston!” in the waning moments, but it might be best to pay heed to series history — the 76ers have lost their last six playoff series against the Celtics. Philadelphia last topped Boston in a series in 1982.

That’s a worry for the next practice. Maxey walked off the court to a roaring crowd — including Allen Iverson — and teammates swarmed him to show their appreciation.

“I promised some guys we were going to get in the playoffs,” Maxey said.

One bright spot out of last season’s dismal finish was getting the No. 3 pick in the draft. The Sixers — who drafted a string of busts during their lengthy rebuild — appear to have made a wise move by selecting Edgecombe out of Baylor.

The 20-year-old opened the season with 34 points against Boston, the third-most points for an NBA player in his first game. He was just as impressive in his first play-in game with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Edgecombe was whistled for taunting after a dunk in the third quarter and officials had to separate the teams.

“I was tweaking a little bit tonight,” Edgecombe said. “I guess it happens when you let a kid play such a high-intensity game. I was out there having fun. If I’ve got to play wild for us to win, I’ll play wild.”

The first-time All-Star followed a breakout regular season with a fantastic all-around performance in Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament, scoring 41 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers over the Phoenix Suns for a 114-110 win to clinch the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

The Blazers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after clawing back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. They’ll face the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs in the first round.

“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career so far,” Avdija said.

The 25-year-old Avdija had never played in the NBA’s postseason until Tuesday — toiling for more than five years on mediocre teams in Washington and Portland — but looked comfortable on the bigger stage. He had the winning three-point play with 16.1 seconds left, scoring on a physical take to the rim while being fouled and then converting the free throw.

Blazers guard Jrue Holiday — a two-time NBA champion with Milwaukee and Boston — was impressed with Avdija’s composure. He shot 15 of 22 from the field while adding 12 assists and seven rebounds.

Holiday said the best part of Avdija’s performance was it was “kind of an off night.”

“I feel like he’s unique. Nobody does what he does,” Holiday said. “Deni coming out here, carrying us, especially down the stretch, getting that winning bucket and being able to go home knowing we’re playing San Antonio is something you love to see in Deni because this is what we expect from him now.”

Avdija and the rest of the young Blazers kept their cool during a physical game that featured plenty of hard fouls. Holiday finished with 21 points and Jerami Grant returned from a calf injury to score 16.

“I think back to the beginning of the season, we weren’t very disciplined at staying together and finishing games,” Avdija said. “I feel like we showed character today. We showed growth, we showed character, we showed we were capable of keeping our composure and making winning plays.”

Blazers coach Tiago Splitter agreed that Avdija didn’t have his best night despite the big numbers. He said the 6-foot-8 forward’s next test will be facing a Spurs team that will throw different looks at him on defence in a playoff series.

If Tuesday night was any indication, he’ll be just fine.

“He just kept going, kept believing in himself,” Splitter said. “Scored a couple buckets at the end there. A little bit of what he did the whole season, played 38 minutes, had the ball a lot and decided the game.”

Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists and Bridges had 28 points and nine rebounds as the Hornets won their first postseason home game in a decade. Coby White had 19 points, including a turnaround three with 10.8 seconds left in regulation to send the game to OT.

Mitchell scored 28 points and Andrew Wiggins added 27 for the Heat, who lost Bam Adebayo to a lower back injury when Ball tripped him in the second quarter.

The Hornets will travel to face the loser of Wednesday’s matchup between Philadelphia and Orlando on Friday night for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is seeking its first playoff appearance in a decade.

Ball’s driving layup put the Hornets up by five with 26 seconds left in OT. But he made two critical mistakes after that.

Tyler Herro, who scored 23 points for Miami, hit a twisting, corner three, and Ball then turned the ball over in the backcourt and fouled Herro on a three-point shot. Herro made all three free throws to give Miami a 126-125 lead with 8.7 seconds left.

After a timeout, Ball drove the right side of the lane and made a leaning, right-handed layup to give Charlotte the lead. Miami, without any timeouts, pushed the ball up the court and Bridges chased down Mitchell to block his layup attempt, setting off a frenzied celebration.

Ball flexed at midcourt as players mobbed each other.

Despite the loss of Adebayo, the Heat remained in control until late in the third quarter, when White banked in a three-pointer and then added another three at the top of the key as part of a 10-0 Charlotte run.

White, acquired in a midseason trade with Chicago, drained another 3 in the closing seconds of the third quarter to give Charlotte a 89-83 lead.

The Heat then built a 102-95 lead in the fourth quarter behind two 3s from Wiggins.

The Hornets tied it when White caught an inbounds pass and made a unbalanced 3 from the corner. Herro had a chance to win it in regulation but hit the back iron on a 3-point try.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to meet the Toronto Raptors in the opening round of the playoffs.

“Toronto, we know, that’s no picnic; they low-key dominated us in the games we played them this year,” Atkinson said. “A lot of respect, it’s great, Toronto’s a great basketball city, great challenge for us, really good team.”

The Raptors swept the Cavaliers 3-0 in their regular-season series. Winning by scores of 112-101, 126-113 and 110-99.

Toronto limited Cleveland’s offence to earn the victories. It held the Cavaliers to 42.2 per cent shooting and just 28.1 per cent from deep in the three games. Both are down from their regular-season averages of 48.2 per cent from the field and 36 per cent from three.

“Transition defence is the first, their speed and then they turn you over,” Atkinson said.

The Raptors forced the Cavaliers into 38 turnovers in their matchups.

Toronto’s leading scorer, Brandon Ingram, was also effective against Cleveland during the regular season. He averaged 22.7 points on 45 per cent shooting against the Cavaliers and exploded for 37 points in the final meeting.

“Brandon Ingram is a high-level player, high-level scorer, but they’ve done it as a group this year,” Atkinson said. “So a lot of respect for what they’ve done, I think they deserve to be where they are. This is gonna be a big challenge for us, that’s what I think.”

The Cavaliers and Raptors begin their first-round series on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.

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The only Toronto Raptors player who was on the team the last time they were in the playoffs is Scottie Barnes, which speaks to how quickly things change in the NBA. Barnes was a rookie in 2021-22 when the Raptors lost in six games to Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, which were bolstered by adding James Harden in a big mid-season trade. Back then, Barnes was relying on veterans Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby to help show him the way as then Raptors head coach Nick Nurse tried to engineer an upset. Now Barnes is in his fifth season and he’s trying to lead a relatively recently put-together team into the post-season against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which acquired Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers in a big mid-season trade. Nick Nurse now coaches Embiid and the 76ers.

The fifth-seeded Raptors travel to Cleveland to take on the fourth-seeded Cavaliers for Game 1 on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+. Game 2 is on Monday, before the series switches to Toronto for Games 3 and 4 on April 23 and 26.

Toronto had its first media availability of the playoffs on Wednesday afternoon at the OVO Athletic Centre.

Let’s get into it:

Barnes very much happy to be here

After getting to the playoffs as a rookie Barnes was on the outside looking in for the next three seasons. That’s one reason the Raptors all-star is appreciating this opportunity to the fullest.

“For sure I’m grateful,” Barnes said. “It’s hard to win basketball games in the NBA, so you can’t take that for granted. Every win, we work super hard for (so we) just got to appreciate it. So I’m super happy we’re here and now we got to go out there and win one game at a time.”

Quickley healing?

The good news is that Immanuel Quickley was able to go through an individual workout on Wednesday, so he was up and around on what was declared a ‘mild’ hamstring strain in his right leg that he suffered in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. Quickley was in just his third game back after missing eight games due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Not surprisingly, there were no updates given on his timeline or potential availability for the series, though Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said he was “day-to-day.”

3-0, out the window

The Raptors played the Cavaliers three times in 25 days between Oct. 31 and Nov. 24, winning by 11, 13 and 11 points, respectively. A 64-win team last season, Cleveland battled injuries for much of the season and started this year 17-16 before finishing the season on a 35-14 trot and a 52-30 record. They also acquired Harden at the trade deadline and finished the season healthier than at any other point this season.

So, no, Rajakovic isn’t putting too much weight on the Raptors regular season success: “Some things, obviously, Donovan Mitchell, (Evan) Mobley, (Jarrett) Allen, guys who are still on the roster, that’s one thing (you can look at),” he said. “Their tendencies. But it’s a very different team now. A different team, different dynamics inside that team. James Harden is playing a different style of basketball compared to other players that had on the team in the past. We’ve got to take some things from those (games) we played against them. But the majority is going to be post-All-Star, post-trade, how they’re playing.”

Experience has to be experienced

There isn’t a ton of playoff experience on the Raptors roster. Brandon Ingram has been to the playoffs twice and is 0-2 in first-round series. Barnes was there as a rookie. Jakob Poeltl had a brief taste in 2018 when the Raptors lost to Cleveland in the second round, and lost in the first round in 2019 after being traded to San Antonio. RJ Barrett made it to the playoffs in his second and fourth seasons when he was with the New York Knicks and even beat the Cavaliers in the first round in 2022-23. He plans to share his wisdom with the younger Raptors about to experience it for the first time but acknowledges that can only do so much.

“Stay even keel, is what I would say in the playoffs. If a team goes on a run, stick to your principles, do what you need to do,” said Barrett. “It’s a long game; every game is different. What happens in game one, two, win or lose the first game, come back, next game, ready to go again. Like, it’s a long series, but I mean, it’s tough. There’s nothing that you could really say too much to have people be ready for that moment. I remember I had Derrick Rose (with the Knicks) trying to give me advice on the playoffs. Look, there’s nothing like getting those couple of minutes.”

Survive Quickley being out how, exactly?

The Raptors are heavy underdogs against the Cavaliers, who would pay just $100 on a $900 bet to win. And their chances would likely be reduced further if Quickley is ruled out for any length of time. It would mean the Raptors would be without their point guard and most established three-point shooter, although there is some confidence that Barnes could handle the point guard role well. Barnes averaged nearly 12 assists a game in the first six games that Quickley missed with plantar fasciitis.

“Scottie, he’s pretty much like a big guard anyway,” said Ja’Kobe Walter. “I think he really does good pushing the pace. He’ll rebound and immediately push the ball, which causes all of us to run to our spots earlier, get out in transition. He’s really good at getting to the paint. He draws a lot of attention. They might have to double him sometimes. He’s really good at finding the open man, whether that’s Jak in the dunker or just one of the shooters facing a cutter. So for us, I think he’s really good at just bringing a lot of attention to himself and then making sure that we get open.”

Not that Barnes is too worried about being an underdog: “That stuff doesn’t mean shit.”

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“They’re out indefinitely,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after practice Tuesday at the Lakers’ training complex. “I’m not going to have an update for you this week.”

Doncic strained a hamstring and Reaves strained an oblique during the Lakers’ loss to the Thunder on April 2 in Oklahoma City, and neither returned during the regular season. The Lakers host the Rockets in Game 1 on Saturday night.

Doncic will return to Los Angeles on Friday after travelling to Spain last week for treatment on his hamstring, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Doncic and the Lakers aren’t revealing details about the NBA scoring champion’s recovery.

Reaves is in Los Angeles, and he shot free throws with several teammates after practice ended Tuesday. The reported severity of his oblique strain seems likely to keep him out of the entire first-round series, although the Lakers haven’t put any timeline on either player’s recovery from injuries that frequently require a full month of healing or more.

Doncic and Reaves combined to average 56.8 points, 13.8 assists and 12.4 rebounds per game when healthy this season, and their absences put a massive anchor on LA’s hopes of playoff advancement. Yet the Lakers still went 3-2 in the stars’ absence, earning home-court advantage in the first round, after LeBron James resumed his role as the focal point of the offence.

Los Angeles also employed Luke Kennard as a ballhandler and initiator, and guard Marcus Smart is back after missing nearly three weeks with a right ankle injury. He is eager to play a role in countering the Rockets’ defensive pressure.

“They’re aggressive, and we’re going to try to use it against them,” Smart said. “We’ve got some things put in, some different guys that are going to bring it up. They’re going to come out firing, and we’ve got to come out firing, too.”

Backup centre Jaxson Hayes is also ready to return after missing the final four games of the regular season to rest a left foot injury.

“I was going to play no matter what,” Hayes said. “If I was hurting, I’d be playing.”

He got there Sunday, appearing in his 82nd game of the Toronto Raptors’ season — one of just 18 players in the league to suit up in all 82 games in 2025-26. The second-year guard, who typically leads Toronto’s second unit, said one of his off-season targets was to be a consistent presence in the Raptors’ lineup.

“I played in 76 last year, so I knew I could get another six out of myself,” said the 23-year-old Shead by his locker at Scotiabank Arena. “Just try to continue to be in every game, just be available for this team.

“That was one of my goals.”

Shead averaged 6.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.7 rebounds over 22.6 minutes per game, starting 12 times. The Naismith Defensive Player of the Year for his senior season with the NCAA’s Houston Cougars, he averaged 0.9 steals and 0.2 blocks for Toronto.

“The medical staff are really awesome here,” said Shead. “They listen to my every need, and they’ve accommodated me after every game. Just ask me what I need, what I don’t need.

“There’s so much that goes into it, and I have such an awesome team around me. It’s been an amazing season with my body.”

Most importantly, Shead was a constant for a Raptors team that had significant injuries all season.

When RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley missed long stretches of time, Shead often absorbed their minutes, and he also gave all-star Scottie Barnes a chance to rest when he stepped into the playmaker role.

All-star forward Brandon Ingram, named Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday, said Shead’s consistent presence in the lineup helped the Raptors reach the playoffs for the first time in four years.

“He’s the head of the snake, especially for the second group,” said Ingram, who played in 77 games, the second most in his 10-year career. “He started some this year, and to be available is the best thing, knowing that somebody’s gonna be there consistently, doing the same thing every single night, defensive intensity, running the team.

“That’s special to do, especially how hard he plays every single night.”

Head coach Darko Rajakovic said that Shead’s playing in every game this season says a lot about how much preparation he put in off the court.

“(Shead) had a really good summer that allowed him to go through a season like this,” said Rajakovic. “All the recovery, the nutrition, all of the stuff he’s doing to maintain that during the course of the season.

“He’s a very durable player and winning player. I love it for him.”

The Cougars were a winning team every year Shead was playing collegiate basketball in Houston, reaching the Final Four of the men’s championship in his freshman season in 2020-21.

The next year, the Cougars won the American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and reached the Elite Eight of March Madness.

The team switched to the tougher Big 12 conference for the 2023-24 season, but Houston didn’t slow down, winning the regular-season title.

After a muddled 30-52 rookie season for the Raptors, Shead is set to make his NBA playoff debut Saturday when Toronto opens its first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I’m just excited, man, and I think we get to play for something bigger,” he said. “Our season ended on this day last year. So just being able to have a shot at playing some more games and continuing this season with this team, it’s exciting. “

Shead might need to step up again when the Raptors open their best-of-seven series in Cleveland. Quickley was listed as day-to-day Monday with a mild right hamstring strain.

Quickley underwent medical imaging a day after Toronto’s playoff-clinching 136-101 win over the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Several players were just on a different level this campaign, and many of them could be going home with some hardware. 

For some, it may be getting a second consecutive MVP award, and for others, it could be getting recognized as a once-in-a-generation defensive talent. 

Here are the top three candidates for all major awards:

MVP

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder): The Hamilton, Ont., native has a very good chance to become the second Canadian and 14th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVP awards. He guided the Oklahoma City Thunder to the best record in the league for the second straight season and was the best player on the court, no matter the matchup.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.4 steals, all while shooting a career-best 55.3 per cent from the field. He also broke Wilt Chamberlain’s 63-year-old record for most consecutive 20-plus point games this season. 

It appeared close to impossible that Gilgeous-Alexander would be able to top his first MVP season, but he may have done just that. 

This season alone, the guard scored: 

20-29 points – 25 times

30-39 points – 35 times

40-49 points – seven times

50-plus points – one time

Nikola Jokic (Nuggets): If Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t exist, Jokic would most likely already have four MVPs and be on his way to a fifth. When it comes to premier talent in the Association, Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander are definitely 1A and 1B. 

The Denver Nuggets centre has joined Russell Westbrook as the second player ever to average a triple-double in multiple seasons. Jokic finished the year averaging 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and a career-high 10.7 assists. The six-foot-11 Serbian had 34 triple-doubles in 2025-26 and reached 198 for his career, the second most all-time, only 11 behind Westbrook. 

Jokic also became the first player to lead the league in both rebounds and assists per game, continuing to redefine what a centre can be as arguably the NBA’s best playmaker.

Victor Wembanyama (Spurs): They don’t call Wembanyama The Alien for nothing. The Frenchman is one of the most dynamic players ever seen in NBA history, and he’s turned around a Spurs organization that was floundering for six years. 

Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, one steal and 3.1 blocks this season. Both his points and rebounds per game averages are new career highs, and he pushed the Spurs to the No. 2 seed in the West. 

The seven-foot-four phenom also shot over 50 per cent from the field (51.2) in a season for the first time, after never previously shooting above 47.6 per cent.

The 22-year-old finished the season better than practically anyone in the NBA. He scored 40-plus in three of his final five games and 34 in another as the Spurs went 4-1.

Defensive Player of the Year

Wembanyama (Spurs): Well, if Wembanyama doesn’t take home the MVP, he is practically guaranteed to become the Defensive Player of the Year. Nobody makes defence look as effortless as Wemby does. 

He led the NBA in blocks with an absurd 3.1 per game and had 197 total, 44 more than Jay Huff of the Indiana Pacers. What’s crazier is that Huff played 18 more games than Wembanyama this season. 

Wembanyama took a defence that ranked 25th in the NBA last season and guided them to the league’s third-best defensive rating of 110.4 in 2025-26.

Scottie Barnes (Raptors): After five seasons in the NBA, it finally feels justifiable to say that Scottie Barnes is a star. He’s levelled up and anchored the Toronto Raptors defence. 

Barnes averaged 2.8 stocks per game this season and had the second-most total in the NBA with 230, behind Wembanyama. He was also the only player in the Association to achieve over 100 blocks and 100 steals this campaign, with 116 blocks and 114 steals. The 24-year-old did this and led the Raptors to the fifth-best defence in the NBA. 

Chet Holmgren (Thunder): Oklahoma City had the league’s best defensive rating in 2025-26, and a big part of that is due to Holmgren. The seven-foot-one big man averaged the third most blocks in the NBA with 1.9 per game, and opponents shot just 41 per cent from the field when guarded by Holmgren. 

Holmgren himself had the best defensive rating (102.3) and the second-most defensive win shares (0.179). 

Rookie of the Year

Cooper Flagg (Mavericks): Flagg ran away with the Rookie of the Year award over the last few weeks. In April, he averaged the sixth-most points per game (29.2) and became the first teenager to score 50-plus points in a game. The 19-year-old averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his first campaign in the league. He’s the first rookie to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals since Michael Jordan in 1984-85.

Kon Knueppel (Hornets): In his first season, Knueppel showed that he is going to be one of the best three-point shooters of all time. He broke the record for most threes made in a season by a rookie (273) and also became the first rookie to lead the NBA in threes. Knueppel did all that while shooting 42.5 per cent from beyond the arc. 

VJ Edgecombe (76ers): The Baylor product is an outstanding athlete who got the chance to play with multiple stars in his first NBA season. Edgecombe used that opportunity to grow his game and put together a great first campaign. He averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting better than expected with a 35.4 per cent clip from three. 

Most Improved Player

Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks): Canadian Alexander-Walker took a leap this season that nobody saw coming. He averaged 20.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists with 45.9/39.9/90.2 shooting splits. His previous career high was 11 points per game in 2021-22, and last season he averaged just 9.4 per game. 

Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers): Avdija was traded to the Blazers prior to 2024-25 and instantly levelled up. However, he reached an even higher level this season, averaging career highs in points (24.2) and assists (6.7). Avdija is a premier driver and averaged the third most free throws per contest (9.2) in the league.

Jalen Duren (Pistons): Duren has become an elite big man, and he held it down in the first-place Pistons frontcourt all season. The 22-year-old averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game and added 10.5 rebounds while making his first all-star game. 

Sixth Man of the Year

Keldon Johnson (Spurs): It can be easy to become forgotten on a Spurs team that features so many studs, but Johnson’s efforts off the bench cannot be ignored. Johnson averaged 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 51.9 per cent from the field. He is also a very competent defender and knocked down 36.3 per cent of three-point attempts. 

Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Heat): Miami had the fourth-highest scoring bench in the league this season, and a big part of that is Jaquez. The 25-year-old averaged 15.4 points, five rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 50.7 per cent from the field. Jaquez did all this despite being a below-average shooter because of his ability to attack the rim. 

Reed Sheppard (Rockets): To put it simply, Sheppard can score and score a lot when he needs to. Sheppard averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists with 43/39.4/80.2 shooting splits. Those numbers may not jump out at you, but Sheppard is an offensive weapon who serves as a great shot creator and perfectly spaces out the floor. 

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NBA playoff bracket set, Game 1 schedule announced

The 2026 NBA Draft will take place on June 23 and 24 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., the league announced Tuesday.

This will mark the third time that the NBA Draft is held over two days.

While the order of the draft is not yet set, the lottery will be held on May 10.

The Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets have the best odds at landing the first pick, with each side standing at 14 per cent. They all have a 52.1 per cent chance at a top-four selection.

The 2026 class is considered by many to be a special one, headlined by college standouts Cam Boozer (Duke), AJ Dybantsa (BYU) and Darryn Peterson (Kansas).

Last season, the Dallas Mavericks won the lottery with only a 1.8 per cent chance and selected Duke standout Cooper Flagg with the top pick.

The program released a video statement Monday from the 6-foot-10 forward regarded as a top prospect in the June draft. That made Wilson’s one-and-done route official, coming after he had posted an “#8out” message on social media late last month indicating he was headed in that anticipated direction.

“I am grateful for the opportunity I had to represent North Carolina,” Wilson said. “Wearing No. 8, running out of that historic tunnel every day for practice and games, and i’m happy to say every day I gave it my all.”

Wilson averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds in a dynamic season was cut short by injury, first a broken bone in his left hand days after a thrilling win against rival Duke. Then, when he was on the verge of returning, he broke his right thumb in a non-contact drill to end his season on the eve of Round 2 with the Blue Devils.

Still, Wilson was named a second-team Associated Press All-American, a distinction that will ensure that he will be included among the honored jerseys in the Smith Center rafters.

He never anticipated the long journey back would take a detour because of a bout with shingles.

On Monday, one day after the Pacers completed a 19-win season without their two-time all-star ever suiting up, Haliburton told reporters that while he’s ready to return from the injury, it’s the illness that he will contend with this off-season. It has caused him to gain weight, lose part of his right eyebrow and forced him to wear eyeglasses to avoid scratching his swollen eye.

“First of all, I’d tell anybody over 50 years old to get the shot,” Haliburton said. “It’s been miserable. I have good days and bad days, but for the most part it’s been bad days. I’ve been taking unbelievable amounts of medication to try to get rid of it. It hasn’t worked. It’s not been fun and hopefully it goes away soon. It’s hard to really tell with nerve pain, but I’ve been dealing now with nerve pain for two months and in the world of nerve pain, that’s not very long. Hopefully, it goes away soon.”

Anyone who’s had chickenpox harbors that virus for the rest of their life. It hides in nerves and can break out when the immune system weakens from illness or age, causing painful, blister-like sores typically on one side of the body that last for weeks.

About one in three Americans will get shingles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While most recover, it sometimes causes severe complications. If it infects an eye it can cause vision loss. Up to 20 per cent of shingles patients suffer excruciating nerve pain months or even years after the rash itself is gone.

While team officials wasted no time announcing last July the former Iowa State point guard would not play this season, Haliburton said his recovery was essentially tracking that of Boston Celtics all-star Jayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles tendon last May, until the shingles diagnosis. Haliburton was injured in June, during Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Tatum recently returned to game action and appears to be getting stronger by the day for the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed.

Haliburton and his teammates, meanwhile, are heading home for a crucial summer that could determine whether the Pacers can continue to be a title contender when Haliburton returns.

The good news from Haliburton is that he has no doubts about his lower right leg being healthy. Instead, he’s just trying to get over this illness that delayed his return to five-on-five workouts until last week.

“I’m out of shape like crazy, like I never have been before,” Haliburton said. “I’ve changed my medication a bunch of times. I’ve gotten a Botox injection I thought would help, it hasn’t really helped. I’ve done everything, it just hasn’t worked yet. But I’m confident it goes away soon.”

Most people figured losing Haliburton for an entire season would derail the title hopes of last year’s Eastern Conference champs. Still, as training camp opened, team officials bristled at the thought of describing this as a “gap season,” awaiting Haliburton’s return.

An early season rash of injuries to additional starters and key rotational players, coupled with a 1-13 start, quickly changed the equation and not to everyone’s satisfaction.

“It was tough, just tough mentally going through that,” four-time all-star Pascal Siakam said Sunday. “It was hard trying to get through it, find positive things, trying to continue to improve, trying to find ways to win games. It was pretty bad. It sucked.”

Haliburton felt similarly, yet at the urging of coach Rick Carlisle, continued to attend team meetings, film sessions and workouts. In the locker room, he helped counsel teammates about their injury battles while encouraging younger players to make improvements.

“Once I get off that (medication) and start running a little more, I have no worries,” Haliburton said. “I’ve got a long summer ahead of me — we’re only in April and the season doesn’t start till October. So I don’t really have any concerns. I can’t wait till I get out there and play and compete with my guys.”

There can be no more movement, and the seeds are all set. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons will both enter the post-season as the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences. The Toronto Raptors, back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022, will be the No. 5 seed and face the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Play-In tournament will begin on Tuesday and the playoffs will begin on Saturday, with the full schedule to be announced.

Here is a look at the final bracket and the playoff matchups:

Eastern Conference Round 1 matchups:

No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 8 seed
Game 1: Sunday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. ET
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 seed
Game 1: Sunday, April 19 at 1 p.m. ET
No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks
Game 1: Saturday, April 18 at 6 p.m. ET
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors
Game 1: Saturday, April 18 at 1 p.m. ET

Western Conference Round 1 matchups:

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 seed
Game 1: Sunday, April 19 at 3:30 p.m. ET
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7 seed
Game 1: Sunday, April 19 at 9 p.m. ET
No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves
Saturday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m. ET
No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets
Saturday, April 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET

Play-In schedule

Tuesday
Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets (9-10 game), 7:30 p.m. ET
Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns (7-8 game), 10 p.m. ET

Wednesday
Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers (7-8 game), 7:30 p.m. ET
Golden State Warriors at LA Clippers (9-10 game), 7:30 p.m. ET

Friday
East eighth-seed game, 7:30 p.m. ET
West eighth-seed game, 10 p.m. ET

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Raptors beat Nets to clinch playoff berth, will face Cavaliers

The New Orleans Pelicans are opening a search for a new head coach, NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on Monday.

Interim head coach James Borrego will be included as a candidate, Stein and Fischer added.

The Pelicans finished 26-56 on the season, tied for the seventh-worst record in the NBA.

New Orleans has finished in draft lottery positioning for consecutive seasons – they went 21-61 in 2024-25 – and fired previous head coach Willie Green on Nov. 15 after a 2-10 start to the season.

The Milwaukee Bucks are also in the market for a new head coach after Doc Rivers stepped down on Sunday.

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We say technically because the Nets have been among the leaders of the NBA’s most determined collection of tankers in league history. For them, winning had long ago ceased to be a motivation. They had nine regulars listed out on their injury report. If you listened closely, you could hear “1-2-3 Cancun” when they broke from timeouts. 

The Raptors’ task was therefore simple: win, improve their record to 46-36 and lock down sixth place. With some luck — the Miami Heat beating the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic losing to the Boston Celtics — and the Raptors could end up fifth. 

As it turned out, who doesn’t like Cleveland in the spring? 

The Raptors dominated the Nets for the 136-101 win and then had to hang around the televisions in their locker room to watch the Celtics — who sat all their starters — outlast the Magic, nudging the Raptors into fifth.

They will play the fourth-seeded Cavaliers (52-30) instead of the third-seeded Knicks. 

On paper, maybe a good thing, since the Raptors went 3-0 against the Cavs this season, and 0-5 against the Knicks. 

But any regular-season results are probably only mildly relevant since Cleveland and Toronto haven’t met since Nov. 24. Cleveland comes into the post-season relatively healthy and has since added James Harden, making them the justified heavy favourites. 

As an added concern, Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley left the game at halftime with hamstring tightness in his right leg. He went for testing afterwards. On the bright side, the Raptors don’t play Game 1 until Saturday (at 1 p.m. ET).

So on Sunday night, those were concerns for another time. The Raptors set a lofty goal and reached it, which is something to be recognized and saluted. 

They were a 25-win team two years ago, starting a rebuild without the benefit of their first-round draft pick and had finally divorced themselves from the remnants of their championship era. Last season, they won 30 games in what was a relatively unsuccessful tanking mission in that they finished with the NBA’s seventh-worst record and moved back to the ninth pick on lottery night. Team president Masai Ujiri was fired. It was a new era.

There was optimism that the Raptors could be competitive this season with better health and the addition of Brandon Ingram, but no guarantees. 

“Obviously, we never set a goal of get this seed or that seed,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. “We were just focusing on our work, focusing on the things that were in our control. The hand played out well for us this year. We won 46 games, 16 more than last season. We saw a lot of growth from this roster. The best part of it is that we’re gonna have an opportunity to play in the playoffs. As much as all of those games meant to put us in the playoffs, it’s going to be an amazing experience for our team to go in the playoffs. We’re just gonna take it one game at a time. Our mentality is not gonna change. We’re gonna try to win one game, this next game, and see where we end up.”

It’s been a breakthrough year for Scottie Barnes, who finished the season with career bests in games played (80), minutes played, points, rebounds, assists, blocked shots and steals, and was the hub on what ended up being the NBA’s fifth-best defence heading into play Sunday — something no one saw coming, except maybe them.

“From training camp, we believed it. We were confident we could get in this position,” said Barnes, who led the Raptors against the Nets with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his ninth career triple-double. “The season is always going to have some ups and downs, but if you get through it, push through it. I thought we did a great job of pushing through it. Stuff happens, you can try to go out there and win the next game, win the next game. I felt like we got through that and through those moments as a team.”

Their reward is that they get to test themselves in the playoffs against a veteran team with championship ambitions.

“From when I got here, I would always be one of the ones saying, ‘when you do things the right way, the results are going to come.’” said RJ Barrett (22 points on 9-of-15 shooting), who has been to the playoffs twice in his career with the New York Knicks, and now gets to do it with his hometown team. “We’ve been doing things the right way. We’ve been working, building. This is the result of that. Obviously it’s still a process. But this is a good step for us. I don’t think many people thought we were gonna be here. I’m just very proud of this group, how hard we work, how together we are. That’s going to continue in the playoffs.”

Or as Barnes said when asked about what he’s been telling his younger teammates about post-season basketball: “Just be ready for the physicality. You got to love this s—, this s—’s fun. Be ready to go. Try to win and I think our guys can go out there and try to win.”

Three-point Grange, bonus edition!

But how did the Raptors get here? It’s been a trip, starting in Calgary for training camp and winding up Sunday night with a playoff spot.

Here are 10 moments that defined the Raptors’ season.

1. Jakob Poeltl misses first pre-season game: How little we knew. Poeltl missing the NBA Canada game in Vancouver against the Denver Nuggets was described simply as precautionary, a result of a sore back he’d developed following the intrasquad scrimmage at the end of training camp in Calgary. Poeltl went on to miss 20 of the Raptors’ first 27 games, rarely looking like his best self, before missing 27 of the Raptors’ next 28 games. But eventually the big Austrian returned and has missed just two games since the all-star break. He’s still not been at his best — his rebounding rate is his lowest in seven years — but any chance the Raptors have to be at their best now or over the next four years that the 30-year-old is under contract relies on his good health.

2. Jamison Battle to the rescue:  It’s a long time ago now, but it felt like the Raptors’ season was hanging by a thread back on Halloween. Remember? After a blowout win over the Atlanta Hawks on opening night, the Raptors got pummelled in four straight games, losing convincingly to Milwaukee, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston. The Raptors were 1-4 and seemed too small to compete against teams that had any kind of quality size (Giannis Antetokounmpo was still firing on all cylinders for the Bucks, Anthony Davis for Dallas and Steven Adams for Houston. And of course, Victor Wembanyama for the Spurs). The Raptors were trailing Cleveland by 10 midway through the third quarter when Darko Rajakovic turned to Jamison Battle in search of some offence. Good call! Battle finished 7-of-7 with six triples and was plus-28 in 15 minutes in a game the Raptors desperately needed to get.

3. The easiest schedule in NBA history: In mid-November, the Raptors had righted the ship and were 7-5 when opportunity knocked. Ahead of them was what might have been (at the time) the easiest stretch of games in NBA history: over the next six games, they were due to play Indiana twice, as well as Brooklyn and Washington. At the time, those teams had a cumulative 3-32 record. There was only one time previously that three teams in the same conference had been 1-10 or worse. To play them four times in just over a week was too good an opportunity not to take advantage of. The Raptors did just that, running their winning streak to nine games. It was the defining stretch of their season. Even with the win over Brooklyn Sunday, the Raptors finished just 10 games over .500.

4. Collin Murray-Boles did what? There was never a moment this season when the burly rookie didn’t impress. On the first day of training camp, Scottie Barnes was calling him a “beast, a monster.” Grown men were overwhelmed by the 20-year-old’s brute strength. But on Jan. 5 against Atlanta, Murray-Boyles signalled that he was more than a promising rookie with plus athleticism as he put up 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks without a turnover, while making countless winning plays — screens, loose balls, deflections — that don’t show up in the box score. It was the first time in 35 years that a rookie put up at least those numbers without a turnover. Forgetting turnovers, the only rookies to hit those thresholds in the past decade are Amen Thompson, Victor Wembanyama and Lonzo Ball. We’ve seen since that it was not a fluke. Even while battling a thumb injury on his shooting hand, Murray-Boyles has proved himself an essential piece of the Raptors’ rotation and a potential difference maker in the playoffs.

5. Barnes with the clutch block: Whatever happens in the playoffs, this season will likely be remembered as the year that the rest of the NBA recognized how special Barnes’ game-changing defence can be. He does it in every way — he was the only player in the NBA to finish in the top 10 in blocks and steals, blowing past his previous career marks in each category. But if there was one area that defined Barnes’ season, it was his proclivity for game-winning defensive plays. Four times this season, Barnes blocked a shot in the final seconds to preserve a win: Nov. 17 against Charlotte, up two with 0.8 seconds left; Dec. 2 against Portland, up four with nine seconds left; Jan. 25 against Oklahoma City with 29 seconds left; March 13 against Phoenix, up four with 43 seconds left. Taken together with the Raptors’ unexpected standing as the NBA’s fifth-best defence will get Barnes recognition as an all-NBA defender at season’s end.

6. Fourth quarter woes: Who knows what the Raptors’ record might be this season if games were just 36 minutes long? The Raptors’ performance in the fourth quarter was a problem all season. Their fourth-quarter offensive rating was 25th after 81 games. Weirdly, they had the fourth-best offensive rating in the third quarter. Overall, they were 15^th. But there were moments when the Raptors’ fourth-quarter performance was a record scratch across an otherwise solid album of work, with blown leads down the stretch littering their win-loss record.

7. Detroit, finally: Amid what has been an enjoyable season with results that safely exceeded anyone’s (realistic) pre-season expectations, one of the hard-to-put-aside dampers was the Raptors’ inability to beat good teams. They did finish 4-0 against Atlanta, which seems a little more impressive now given their second-half surge, and they were 3-0 against Cleveland, which isn’t nothing. But against the top three teams in the East, the Raptors finished a cumulative 1-12 and 1-11 against the top six teams in the West. At the point in the season when that seemed to be weighing heaviest, the Raptors put together what was arguably their best single-game showing as they handled their business against the first-place Pistons 119-105 on March 15, thanks to 61 combined points from Barnes and Ingram, and a 21-point, 18-rebound night from Poeltl.

8. Walter runs with it: When the Raptors played their intrasquad scrimmage on the last day of training camp in Calgary, Ja’Kobe Walter wasn’t slotted with the starters, nor was he slotted as a starter on the second unit. By default, that puts the second-year wing third behind Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick among their collection of reserve wings, and sometimes fourth behind Jamison Battle. But Walter kept working, kept playing and finally earned his moment. Agbaji was traded to the Nets, Dick fell out of the rotation, and Walter’s superior defence kept earning him minutes over Battle. He’s since become a fixture in Rajakovic’s rotation. He showed his chops as an on-ball defender most memorably when he helped hold Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 24 points (eight under his season average) in the Raptors’ win at OKC in January. His emergence as a shooter has been crucial as well. Walter came into Sunday’s game shooting a blistering 47.1 per cent from three since the All-Star break, pushing him over the 40 per cent mark on the season. He was three-of-five from deep against the Nets on Sunday.

9. Ingram, Iron Man: By far the biggest question looming over the Raptors heading into the season was whether Ingram would stay on the floor long enough to make a difference. He hadn’t played more than 70 games since he was a rookie, and in the eight years since, he averaged 52 games per season. But Ingram started playing and never stopped. Sunday was his 77^th of the season, just two less than his career high of 79. But he blew past his career marks for minutes played and points scored and had enough in the tank to play his best game (38 points, seven rebounds, seven assists) in a crucial Raptors win over the Miami Heat on Thursday.

10. Speaking of the Heat: As much as the Raptors secured their playoff spot on Sunday with their (predictable) win over the Nets, it really came down to two games against the Miami Heat earlier this week. A split or two losses would have likely consigned them to the play-in or, at the very least, in need of considerable help from other teams. Two wins would set up the situation the Raptors found themselves in — a win at home against the woeful Nets to solidify their spot. It was a perfect set piece: two relatively evenly matched teams, both on similar rest, each relatively healthy. Who would impose their will? The Raptors did as they blew out the Heat not once, but twice, with difference makers in each game. The Raptors had earned the opportunity through 78 games to that point, but with a chance to make it all count, the Raptors knocked the door down. It was impressive, in its own way.

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How soon Milwaukee gets back to the playoffs could depend on an offseason that’s shaping up to be among the most critical in franchise history due to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s uncertain future.

Has the two-time MVP played his last game in a Bucks uniform?

“I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo said Sunday after a 126-106 loss at Philadelphia that capped the Bucks’ 32-50 season. “It’s not up to me. We’ll see.”

Antetokounmpo, 31, has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee, which selected the six-foot-11 forward with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft. Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first title in half a century in 2021, and he owns franchise career records in virtually every major statistical category.

He’s eligible to become a free agent after next season if he doesn’t sign a four-year, $275 million contract extension in October. Or the Bucks could trade him beforehand if they don’t believe he will sign that extension. That uncertainty helps explain why Antetokounmpo was the centre of attention at this season’s trade deadline though the Bucks ultimately kept him.

Antetokounmpo was asked Sunday whether he’d sign an extension.

“It’s something I have to sit down with my family and see what’s best for me, what’s best for my family,” he replied.

Doc Rivers, who announced Monday that he’s stepping down as the Bucks’ coach, said he just wants a positive resolution for both parties.

“Giannis and this franchise won a title together, and to me, that should never be lost, no matter how this ends up,” Rivers said. “As I said, Giannis is a fantastic person. I’ve been lucky to coach a lot of stars, and he’s right at the top as far as just good people. I want good people to be taken care of.”

Late-season dispute hinders relationship

This crossroads arrives at a time when the relationship between Antetokounmpo and the front office is at its most fragile.

Antetokounmpo’s final game of the season came March 15 when an awkward fall on a dunk caused him to leave a victory over the Indiana Pacers. He averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists in a career-low 36 games.

He wanted to play the last couple of weeks and believed he was healthy enough to do so. Team officials continued to hold him out while saying he had a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. The NBA is investigating the situation.

If the Bucks do lose Antetokounmpo, they could face a long rebuild because of their lack of draft assets.

The Bucks will have a lottery pick this year either in their own spot or in New Orleans’ spot — they’ll pick in the less favorable of those two positions. But they don’t have first-round selections in 2027 or 2029. They’ve agreed to pick swaps that could negatively impact their draft position in 2028 and 2030.

Since winning their 2021 title, the Bucks have made just two first-round picks: MarJon Beauchamp in 2022 and AJ Johnson in 2024. Neither remains with the team.

Antetokounmpo has said repeatedly he likes playing in Milwaukee but wants to be part of a franchise committed to competing for championships. The Bucks haven’t won a playoff series since 2022 and just produced their first losing season since 2015-16.

“We’re the furthest away we’ve been,” Antetokounmpo said. “I didn’t think we were going to be in this position last year, so I don’t know what position we will be in next year.”

Misfortune leads to Bucks’ slide

Bad luck has played a role in Milwaukee’s downturn.

Khris Middleton had a knee injury that prevented the three-time All-Star from playing in Milwaukee’s 2022 Eastern Conference semifinal loss to Boston. The Bucks had the NBA’s best record in 2022-23, but a back bruise caused Antetokounmpo to miss 2 1/2 playoff games as Miami stunned Milwaukee in the first round.

Antetokounmpo missed the entire 2024 first-round playoff loss to Indiana with a calf strain. Damian Lillard tore his Achilles tendon in Game 4 of another first-round defeat against Indiana last year.

Milwaukee’s injuries this season weren’t limited to Antetokounmpo. Kevin Porter Jr., the Bucks’ second-leading scorer, played in only 36 games.

The Bucks often weren’t even competitive this season as they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Milwaukee dropped 20 games by at least 20 points. According to Sportradar, they never before had more than 14 losses of at least 20 points in a single season.

The Bucks had 14 losses of at least 25 points — twice the previous franchise single-season high. They had eight defeats of at least 30 points, which also doubled the previous franchise record.

“Obviously when you have injuries to two of your top ball handlers like Giannis and KPJ, it kind of hurt us a lot,” forward Bobby Portis said. “And then all the outside noise as well kind of just took away from the team. Years before, things that were said or things we had internally that were about the team didn’t really get out to the media. There were a lot more dark clouds than in previous years.”

Bucks general manager Jon Horst has taken big swings plenty of times before that helped convince Antetokounmpo to stay.

Antetokounmpo signed an extension in 2021 after Horst added Jrue Holiday. Antetokounmpo signed another extension after the 2023 acquisition of Lillard.

After Lillard tore his Achilles, the Bucks took another gamble by waiving him and stretching out the remaining $113 million on his contract over the next five years. That gave them enough short-term cap flexibility to sign former Indiana Pacers centre Myles Turner.

Horst now faces his biggest challenge yet as he tries to put together a roster strong enough to have Antetokounmpo believing he can contend for a title without changing teams.

“Money doesn’t mean nothing to me,” Antetokounmpo said. “Zero. Absolutely zero. What means something to me, it’s winning.”

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“I have truly loved my time in Milwaukee,” Rivers said Monday in a statement released by the team. “Coming back to where I got my start, to a city that has always embraced me, has been a privilege. I am disappointed that things did not turn out the way any of us hoped, but I am deeply grateful for this experience, the relationships built, and unwavering support from our fans and the community. Milwaukee will always mean a lot to me, and this chapter will hold a special place in my heart.”

The announcement comes a day after the Bucks ended a 32-50 season that snapped their run of nine straight playoff appearances. The news release announcing Rivers’ departure as coach didn’t indicate whether he might have any role with the team moving forward.

“It has been an honor to have Doc as our coach and as a leader in our organization and community,” Bucks owners Wes Edens, Jimmy Haslam, Dee Haslam and Jamie Dinan said in a statement. “In addition to his impact on the court, we’re thankful for Doc’s class and professionalism during his tenure in Milwaukee.”

Rivers went 97-103 in 2 1/2 seasons with the Bucks. He owns a 1,194-866 overall record and overtook George Karl for sixth place on the career wins list among NBA coaches this season. The Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame announced this month that Rivers would be part of its newest induction class.

The 64-year-old had left little doubt about his future as the season wound down.

“I have seven grandkids now and they’re all 8 years and under,” Rivers said about his future before an April 7 loss at Brooklyn. “And it kills me every time I miss grandparents’ day with each one of them in school. And it’s probably time to go see them more. So, I’ll let you figure out the rest.”

Rivers’ exit comes amid questions surrounding the future of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led Milwaukee to its first title in half a century in 2021 and has set Bucks career records in virtually every major statistical category.

Antetokounmpo’s status dominated league discussions as the trade deadline approached, but he wasn’t dealt. He since has been in a disagreement with team management over his injury status.

The last game Antetokounmpo played was on March 15. He said in the closing weeks of the season that he was healthy and wanted to play, while the Bucks continued to rule him out because of a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. The NBA is investigating the matter.

Antetokounmpo had two extended absences because of right calf strains and ended up playing in just 36 games. Kevin Porter Jr., the Bucks’ second-leading scorer, appeared in just 38.

“It’s hard,” Rivers said Sunday. “I don’t remember guys being out like this, but it makes sense. I haven’t had a lot of this. It’s no fun. Losing, I don’t give a crap what the reasons are, I’m just too competitive. It’s just no fun not winning. It just isn’t.”

Rivers won a championship with Boston

Rivers won a title with Boston in 2008 and led the Celtics to Game 7 of the NBA Finals two years later, but his teams haven’t advanced beyond the regional semifinals since. He owns a career playoff record of 114-112.

This marks the first full season in which Rivers has coached and posted a losing record since 2006-07, when he went 24-58 with Boston.

Rivers came to Milwaukee after head coaching stints with the Orlando Magic, Boston, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. He was working as a broadcaster for ESPN and ABC before the Bucks hired him.

He took over midway through the 2023-24 season after the firing of first-year head coach Adrian Griffin. The move represented a homecoming of sorts for Rivers, who played at Marquette before his 13-year NBA playing career. His No. 31 college jersey hangs from the rafters at Fiserv Forum, the arena that both the Bucks and Marquette call home.

But the Bucks never managed to establish any momentum during Rivers’ tenure, with injuries playing a major role.

Bucks struggled with injuries

Milwaukee went 17-19 under Rivers during that 2023-24 season to finish a 49-33 season. They lost to Indiana 4-2 in the opening round of the playoffs, with Antetokounmpo missing the entire series because of a calf strain.

Last season, three-time All-Star Khris Middleton didn’t start playing until early December after offseason surgery to each of his ankles, and he got sent to Washington at the trade deadline. Damian Lillard missed Milwaukee’s final 14 regular-season games because of deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, returned for Game 2 of the Bucks’ first-round playoff series loss to Indiana but tore his Achilles tendon two games later.

With Lillard unable to play this season, the Bucks waived him and agreed to pay his remaining salary over the next five seasons. That opened up cap space for the Bucks to sign former Indiana Pacers centre Myles Turner.

Milwaukee won four of its first five games but struggled the rest of the way while playing much of the season without its superstar.

“I personally have enjoyed the challenge,” Rivers said after Sunday’s game. “It didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, obviously. I always say I could do a better job. We could have had better health. We could have had all kinds of things. But I’m not a big guy in looking back. All you can do is look forward.”