A blowout loss to the Clippers on Wednesday plunges the Raptors into a treacherous playoff path.
The Toronto Raptors (40-32) have dropped into a precarious position with ten games remaining after a 119-94 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The defeat pushed Toronto down to the sixth seed behind the Atlanta Hawks, with the Raptors now facing a difficult playoff path should they manage to survive their current slide.
The defeat was decisive from the opening quarter. The Clippers built a 36–22 first-quarter lead and never trailed, extending the margin to as many as 29 points. Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles with 27 points, while Darius Garland added 24 and Bennedict Mathurin contributed 23.
Toronto struggled on both ends. The Raptors shot 41.7% from the field and 34.5% from three, while allowing the Clippers to shoot 51.2% overall and 45.7% from deep. Brandon Ingram led Toronto with 18 points, shooting 44.4% from the field, and the team never established control after falling behind early.
The loss continued a trend. Toronto is now 19-27 against teams above .500.
Raptors Could Face Knicks and Celtics in the NBA Playoffs
If the standings hold, Toronto would face the New York Knicks (48-25) in the first round, a matchup that has been entirely one-sided this season.
The Knicks have swept the season series 4-0, and none of the games were decided by fewer than 10 points. Toronto struggled to contain New York’s offensive execution while failing to generate efficient scoring late in games.
In the most recent meeting, the Knicks closed on a 16-2 run, turning a competitive fourth quarter into a double-digit loss. Across the four games, New York repeatedly dictated tempo and physicality. Toronto allowed 116, 117, 119 and 111 points, while scoring 94, 101, 92 and 95, showing a clear gap on both ends of the floor.
The Knicks have also won 12 straight games against Toronto dating back to Jan. 2023.
If the Raptors manage to upset the Knicks in the first round, a potential second-round matchup against the Boston Celtics (48-24) further complicates their playoff picture. Boston has also had success against Toronto this season, winning three of their meetings. Unlike the Knicks matchups, those games were fairly competitive, but the Celtics will remain the favorites to advance.
Toronto will face Boston one final time on April 5, a game that could serve as a measuring stick before the playoffs.
The standings also leave little margin for error, with the Philadelphia 76ers (40-33), Miami Heat (39-34), and surging Charlotte Hornets (38-34) also vying for a top-six seed.