Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes established himself as one of the NBA’s best all-round players this season.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
The Toronto Raptors have clinched a 2026 NBA playoff spot as the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed. It’s the team’s first playoff appearance in four years after a first-round loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022.
Here’s what you need to know about the Raptors making it back to the postseason.
What to know about the Raptors making the playoffs
After trouncing the Brooklyn Nets in their last regular season game, Toronto secured fifth place in the East and will play the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. It was a sigh of relief for many fans because the Raptors avoided facing the New York Knicks, who beat them in all five meetings this season, including the NBA Cup quarter-finals.
The Raptors swept three matchups with Cleveland, but those games took place in October and November while Toronto was in the midst of a season-best 13-1 stretch. The Cavaliers made a significant addition in February when they traded for star guard James Harden.
Key players to watch in Raptors vs. Cavaliers series
Key Raptors players to watch:
- Immanuel Quickley – point guard*
- Brandon Ingram – small forward
- Scottie Barnes – power forward
- Jakob Poeltl – centre
Key Cavaliers players to watch:
- James Harden – point guard
- Donovan Mitchell – shooting guard
- Evan Mobley – power forward
- Jarrett Allen – centre
*The Raptors announced Monday that Quickley is day-to-day with a mild hamstring strain.
Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley, left, is one of the NBA's premier shot-blockers.Colin Hubbard/The Associated Press
This season, Barnes averaged 18.1 points per game while Mobley averaged 18.2. Both are considered exceptional two-way players, able to score and defend the rim.
Ingram is known as a clutch player, able to sink buckets at key moments to win games, and led the team in scoring with 21.5 points per game. Mitchell is a high-volume shooter who scored 27.9 points per game, the second-highest average of his career.
For Poeltl, it’ll be a matter of health. The 7-footer only played 46 of 82 games due to back issues. When he did play this year, he made 70 per cent of his field goals and averaged seven rebounds and two assists. Allen played 56 games, shot 63.8 per cent and averaged 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds.
Quickley can get hot but struggles with consistency. He averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 assists and four rebounds per game, making 37.4 per cent of his three-pointers. He is one of the team’s primary long-distance threats.
Harden is an 11-time all-star with an MVP title and an Olympic gold medal, but he famously has never won a championship. Notably, he was on the 2022 76ers team that handed Toronto a first-round defeat in six games. This season, he averaged 23.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and eight assists, shot 43.4 per cent and made 37.5 per cent of his three-pointers.
And, a special mention for RJ Barrett, the hometown hero from Mississauga, who averaged 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists and shot 33.9 per cent from the three-point line.
RJ Barrett, left, drives to the rim in a recent game. The Raptors will count on him for his scoring ability during the playoffs.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
What are the play-in tournaments?
Since the 2021 postseason, the NBA has staged play-in tournaments for the Eastern and Western Conferences.
Teams ranked one through six at the end of the regular season are guaranteed spots in the playoffs. The teams ranked seven through 10 in each conference battle for two remaining playoff berths.
The seventh and eighth teams go head-to-head and the winner clinches the seventh playoff spot. The ninth and 10th teams face off and the loser is eliminated. Finally, the loser of the 7-8 game hosts the winner of the 9-10 game, and whoever wins that matchup secures the eighth seed.
Which teams are in the play-in tournament this year?
In the East:
- Philadelphia 76ers (7)
- Orlando Magic (8)
- Charlotte Hornets (9)
- Miami Heat (10)
In the West:
- Phoenix Suns (7)
- Portland Trail Blazers (8)
- Los Angeles Clippers (9)
- Golden State Warriors (10)
On Tuesday, the Hornets host the Heat at 7:30 p.m. ET and the losing team is eliminated. The Suns and Trail Blazers tip off at 10 p.m. ET, with the winner taking the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
On Wednesday, the 76ers and Magic face off at 7:30 p.m. ET and whichever team wins takes the seventh seed in the East. The Clippers host the Warriors at 10 p.m. ET, with the losing team eliminated.
On Friday, the losers of the 7-8 games and the winners of the 9-10 games battle for the eighth seed in their respective conferences. The East game is at 7:30 p.m. ET and the West game is at 10 p.m. ET.
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What are the 2026 NBA playoff brackets?
Once the play-in tournament concludes, the playoffs officially begin on Saturday, April 18. Here’s which teams made it in each conference.
Eastern Conference (wins-losses):
- Detroit Pistons (60-22)
- Boston Celtics (56-26)
- New York Knicks (53-29)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30)
- Toronto Raptors (46-36)
- Atlanta Hawks (46-36)
- TBD
- TBD
Western Conference:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18)
- San Antonio Spurs (62-20)
- Denver Nuggets (54-28)
- Los Angeles Lakers (53-29)
- Houston Rockets (52-30)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33)
- TBD
- TBD