Looking back at Raptors' Christmas Day history

It's been a while since Toronto was featured on the league's biggest holiday.

Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker is fouled by Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are on the couch for Christmas Day as they were not asked to appear on the NBA's slate for December 25.

This is a familiar position for the Raptors, who have only appeared on Christmas Day twice in their franchise history. Here's a look at the games in which the Raptors played on Christmas:

2001: A Christmas Odyssey

The Raptors made their Christmas debut on this day, 24 years ago, against the New York Knicks, who have played more games on the holiday schedule than any team in the NBA.

The Raptors were fresh off a second-round playoff appearance in the postseason the spring prior, and Vince Carter put the franchise on the map in the basketball world. The Raptors went down double digits early in the game and could not recover, resulting in a 102-94 loss.

Morris Peterson led all Raptors scorers with 22 points, while Vince Carter had 15 on 6-of-20 shooting from the floor. The Knicks got 34 points from Allan Houston, while Latrell Sprewell added 21.

2019: Defending Champs Fall Short

In 2019, the Raptors were coming off their first (and only) NBA championship, which almost guarantees a spot on Christmas the following season. This time around, they were facing off against Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics.

Just like in 2001, the Raptors fell behind early and could not figure out a way to dig out of their hole. The Raptors lost 118-102 in a game where they trailed by as much as 22 points.

For the Raptors, Fred VanVliet led in scoring with 27 points while Chris Boucher had 24 off of the bench. Kyle Lowry had 14 while Serge Ibaka joined them in double figures with 12.

The Celtics saw Brown lead all scorers with 30 points while all five starters finished in double figures. Kemba Walker added 22, Gordon Hayward had 14, Daniel Theis dropped 13 and Jayson Tatum finished with 11.

Some day, the Raptors will get their first win on Christmas Day, but that is not coming this year. The more they rise in the NBA's hierarchy, the more likely they are to pop up on Christmas Day. They need a return to the playoffs somewhere they haven't been in four seasons in order to really get back into the good graces of the league's schedule makers.

The Raptors will have to settle with a Boxing Day matchup against the Washington Wizards on the road. Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm ET inside Capital One Arena.

Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker passes the ball away from Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images