As far as Darko Rajakovic is concerned, the tension of not knowing if his Toronto Raptors will reach the NBA playoffs or stumble into the play-in tournament this weekend is “the beauty of the job.”
The Raptors visited the New York Knicks on Friday and will host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in the final two games of the regular season, with a win in either game clinching Toronto’s first playoff berth in four years. If the Raptors lose both games, they’ll have a longer route to the playoffs, having to advance through the four-team play-in tournament.
“This is what we signed up for, and this is very, very exciting for our coaching staff, our team, for the city of Toronto, for our fans,” said Rajakovic at practice on Wednesday. “Just the path that we had in the last two years, in my three years coaching here, just being in a position to plan, to fight for something, to fight for a playoff, to fight for seeding, and all of that is very, very meaningful.
“I think it’s helping with the development of our players, of our roster.”
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The Raptors were without two key pieces in New York as starting point guard Immanuel Quickley (plantar fasciitis, right foot) and rookie centre Collin Murray-Boyles (neck strain) were ruled out hours before tip-off.
Both played hurt in back-to-back wins over the Miami Heat in Toronto on Tuesday and Thursday. Rajakovic appreciated them playing through the pain, especially Quickley, who he said had a positive impact on the entire roster.
“He allows everybody to go to their roles that they were developing during the whole season. Guys like to play with him. He provides a lot of spacing, opens up the floor.
Toronto also waived guard Tyreke Key on Friday, although he never actually played any minutes with the NBA club. The transaction will allow the Raptors to convert either Alijah Martin or AJ Lawson of Brampton, Ont., from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract by Sunday, making that player playoff eligible.
The Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers have all locked up playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, with Detroit clinching the top seed. The Raptors (45-35) were fifth entering play Friday, tied with Atlanta but ahead of the Hawks on tiebreakers.
After the two losses in Toronto, Miami is locked into the play-in for a fourth consecutive year. Entering Friday, the other three teams in the field were the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets.
The Raptors haven’t been in the playoffs since the 2021-22 season, when they lost to the Sixers in the first round.
Backup centre Sandro Mamukelashvili said earlier this week that the entire season has been leading up to this weekend.
“We’ve been keeping each other accountable and playing hard. Even though sometimes we have ups and downs, we stay together. We try to figure it out together,” he said. “Coach (Rajakovic) is doing a great job coaching us and helping us get over the humps that we have. It’s amazing to be where we’re at because I don’t think anybody saw us being here.
“Now we’ve just got to lock in and finish strong. It’s not done until it’s done.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press