Team is in control of its destiny with regular season nearing end and another date with Miami Heat up next.<\/p>\n
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Published Apr 08, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n It might make Allen Iverson happy to know the Toronto Raptors will not be talking about practice again this regular season.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Philadelphia 76ers superstar once memorably mused about non-game work in a rant<\/a> that should stand the test of time. For the Raptors, Wednesday\u2019s practice was the team\u2019s last before either the playoffs or play-in games begin.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n It was a light-hearted affair, screams of cheer could be heard coming from the court on the heels of a solid 121-95 win over the Miami Heat<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n But the work is nowhere close to done. Miami, 0-3 against Toronto this season, gets a final crack Thursday in a rare second straight game here.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to beat anybody twice in a row,\u201d Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said. \u201cSo obviously one team is going to feel that they need to react after losing \u2026 and they\u2019re gonna come back. And I know that, and expect that, and I don\u2019t expect anything less from teams being coached by (Erik Spoelstra, one of the best in the NBA),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo they\u2019re gonna come into their game swinging, but it really comes down to us. It\u2019s, it\u2019s how our reaction to that is going to be, we did not accomplish anything. We just won one game. This new game starts with 0-0 again, and we got to do it again all over. So it\u2019s going to be adjustments on their side.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s going to be adjustments on our side. So we got to be ready for for tough game, and we got to be the one that\u2019s going to set the tone from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n WHAT\u2019S AT STAKE?<\/p>\n The Raptors win, combined with recent losses by Atlanta, Philadelphia and Charlotte, put Toronto in control of its own destiny.<\/p>\n Atlanta plays at Cleveland on Wednesday night and a Hawks loss would move the Raptors into fifth in the Eastern Conference<\/a> with only three games to play (two more for the Hawks after Wednesday). A Hawks win would put them 1.5 up on Toronto. Toronto owns the tiebreaker should they and the Hawks finish with the same record.<\/p>\n Miami, currently in 10th, can no longer finish in front of the Raptors or Hawks.<\/p>\n Philadelphia and Orlando entered Wednesday tied, but the Sixers own the tiebreaker should those teams finish with identical records.\u00a0 The Magic played at Minnesota on Wednesday though and could move into seventh, just half a game behind the Raptors, with a victory.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Philadelphia, Miami and Orlando will all be heavy favourites in games on Friday while Toronto (at New York Knicks), Charlotte (hosting Detroit, though the Pistons are locked in to the top seed and might rest players), and Atlanta (hosting Cleveland) will have tougher battles that night.<\/p>\n A Raptors win over the Heat on Thursday would mean 45 victories for just the 12th time in franchise history and, more importantly, would make it a lot tougher for the Magic, Hornets or 76ers to catch them for a playoff spot (only Philadelphia has the tie-breaker over Toronto).<\/p>\n IN CONTROL OF DESTINY<\/p>\n The Raptors sit in a decent spot, knowing wins will negate anything the teams chasing them can do. They control their own destiny to some extent and they admit that\u2019s a positive.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels good. I think everybody since the day we went to Madrid (for an off-season camp) had the same goal \u2014 to make the playoffs, to take the step forward and get better as a team,\u201d Sandro Mamukelashvili said.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019ve been doing that. We\u2019ve 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. Coach is doing a great job coaching us and helping us get over the humps that we have. It\u2019s amazing to be where we\u2019re at because I don\u2019t think anybody saw us being here,\u201d Mamukelashvili, who signed with the Raptors as a free agent, said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, now we\u2019ve just gotta lock in and finish strong. It\u2019s not done until it\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n QUIET QUICKLEY<\/p>\n Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley didn\u2019t want to go into too much depth about how his sore foot was feeling. Quickley returned to action against Miami after missing eight games due to plantar fasciitis, but the team has said the injury won\u2019t simply go away without rest.<\/p>\n The Raptors appreciate that Quickley is willing to play through some pain to help out.<\/p>\n \u201cHe gave us huge minutes playing 17 minutes yesterday,\u201d Rajakovic said. \u201cIt was a huge, huge help for us, just providing a lot of stability there, providing a shooting threat.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cI thought that he did good job defensively. He was moving really well, as those kind of injuries, they\u2019re nagging, and they just like day-to-day,\u201d the coach added.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was able to get on the court today get some work done. So we\u2019ll see tomorrow where he\u2019s at and how that affects the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Raptors start fast and never let up in easily beating the visiting Miami Heat<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0409-scottie-barnes-raptors-heat-dunk.jpg\")
Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes (4) dunks against the Miami Heat during Tuesday’s game. The Canadian PressArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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