Raptors clinch playoff spot
The Toronto Raptors secured the final guaranteed Eastern Conference playoff berth on Sunday, giving them a direct seed without needing the play‑in. (sports.yahoo.com) Social updates noted the clincher came with a win over the Brooklyn Nets, marking Toronto’s first guaranteed postseason spot since 2022. (x.com)
Toronto locked up a guaranteed Eastern Conference playoff berth on Sunday by beating Brooklyn 136-101 in its regular-season finale. (nba.com) (apnews.com) The win left the Raptors at 44-35 and out of the SoFi Play-In Tournament, which begins April 14. NBA.com’s postseason tracker listed Toronto among the East’s six direct qualifiers after the final day. (basketball-reference.com) (nba.com) The clincher came behind 26 points from RJ Barrett and a triple-double from Scottie Barnes, who finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. The Associated Press said it was Barnes’ ninth career triple-double. (apnews.com) Toronto had entered the season finale still needing to secure a top-six finish in a crowded East race. Yahoo Sports said the Raptors grabbed the conference’s last guaranteed playoff berth on the final day of the regular season. (sports.yahoo.com) That ended a longer wait than Toronto is used to. The Associated Press and Yahoo both described it as the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2022, after three straight seasons without a guaranteed postseason spot. (apnews.com) (sports.yahoo.com) The bracket was still settling around them, but Toronto’s place was not. NBA.com said the full postseason bracket locked in after Sunday’s games, with the Raptors moving on to a first-round series instead of a single-elimination play-in path. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) For a team that spent the day controlling its own fate, the finish was decisive. Toronto turned the final game into a rout and left Sunday with the only result it needed: a direct ticket into the playoffs. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com)
