The Toronto Raptors did not just sneak into the postseason on Sunday night, they stormed in. Toronto crushed the Brooklyn Nets 136-101 at home, with Scottie Barnes logging a statement triple-double as the Raptors wrapped up their regular season in style.
Box score and standouts
Scottie Barnes stacked the stat sheet with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, while RJ Barrett led all Raptors scorers with 26 points, according to StatMuse. Toronto spread the wealth on offense, built a big lead early and never gave Brooklyn a realistic path back into the game.
Clinched berth and seeding
The runaway win locked in Toronto's first playoff berth in four seasons and, per the Eagle-Tribune, secured the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. That slot sets up a first-round matchup with the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
Where this moves the bracket
The result lifted Toronto clear of play-in danger and helped shuffle the Eastern Conference bracket as the final seeds locked in, as outlined by Yahoo Sports. The postseason opens next Saturday, and on paper that 4-vs-5 showdown with Cleveland is already shaping up as one of the tighter first-round series.
How the game unfolded
Toronto combined efficient offense with sturdy defense, shooting 51-of-80 from the field and winning the rebounding battle 43-38 while forcing 15 Brooklyn turnovers, according to StatMuse. With that kind of shooting and extra possessions, the Raptors grabbed control early and left the Nets searching for answers the rest of the night.
What’s next
Barnes's 18-12-12 line marked his third triple-double of the season and the ninth of his NBA career, milestones highlighted by the Eagle-Tribune. Toronto now gets a brief reset before locking in on its first-round series with Cleveland when the playoffs tip off next Saturday.
