Raptors reflect on season after playoff exit

The Toronto Raptors reviewed their season Monday after being eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs with a Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team returned to the postseason for the first time since 2022, finishing with a 4636 record and a fifthplace seed in the Eastern Conference. Scottie Barnes said the season was a step forward, though he stopped short of calling it a full success. He said the team improved through the year and felt it left everything on the floor. Barnes led Toronto in scoring during the regular season, while RJ Barrett said the group made a major jump from last year and has room to grow. Toronto played much of the series without starting point guard Immanuel Quickley, and Brandon Ingram was limited by a heel injury that forced him out of the final two games. Quickley said his hamstring injury was more serious than first expected, and it is still unclear whether he will have a full offseason of training. Several younger players, including Collin MurrayBoyles, Jamal Shead and Ja'Kobe Walter, were also praised for stepping up in the playoffs.