Given a golden opportunity to maintain control of their own play-in destiny, the Raptors came up empty.
Facing a depleted Boston Celtics roster and with their own group intact for the first time in weeks, the Raptors could not seize the moment and have made their pursuit of eighth place in the East highly improbable.
Coupled with Atlanta’s win over Washington, Toronto’s 97-93 loss in Boston on Wednesday night leaves the Raptors needing help to get into eighth.
Not only would they have to win in Boston on Friday and at home to Milwaukee on Sunday, but they’d need the Hawks to lose their final two games (home to Philadelphia on Friday, at Boston on Sunday) to get to eighth.