Raptors Find Themselves at the Center of March Madness With Latest Victory vs. 76ers

The Toronto Raptors won their fourth straight to finish March 10-5 with a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night

Mar 30, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared Butler (12) controls the ball against Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

March sucks.

In the NBA, it’s easily the worst month of the year. It’s silly season. Half the league is trying to lose. The other half is coasting, resting stars, and doing just enough to get to April. The result is a strange blend of meaningless games, wild box scores, and basketball that barely resembles what we’ll see in the playoffs.

Take the Toronto Raptors, for example.

They just wrapped up the month with a 10–5 record, capped by a 127–109 win over a tanking Philadelphia 76ers team on Sunday night. It was their fourth straight win, despite the organization regularly sitting key players. That pace? It’s the equivalent of a 54-win season.

The optimist might find some hope in that. And to be fair, there have been encouraging signs. Jamal Shead looks like a capable backup point guard. Orlando Robinson has shown flashes as a potential depth piece in the frontcourt. Jared Rhoden has had his moments as a two-way guy. RJ Barrett had a impressive night Sunday with 31 points and rookie Ja'Kobe Walter dropped 17.

But how much of it actually matters? That’s harder to say.

Remember when Malachi Flynn won Rookie of the Month to end his first season? Or when he dropped 50 with Detroit late last year? Neither moment shifted the direction of his career. Jalen Harris once had a 31-point game that led nowhere. Freddie Gillespie was a fun story for a month late one year.

Late-season flashes happen every year. Most of them fade just as fast.

What does seem clear is this: the Raptors are better than the league’s worst teams at their worst. Even Toronto’s end-of-bench crew can outplay the depth units from Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Utah, Washington, Charlotte, and the rest of the tank brigade. That’s worth something.

It’s just hard to say how much.

Lottery Look

Sunday’s win further cemented Toronto’s lottery ceiling at seventh. The Raptors are now four wins behind Brooklyn for the sixth-worst record and five back of Philadelphia. Looking the other way, they’re just three wins ahead of San Antonio, which sits in eighth. That gap should be enough to hold the spot, but it’s not guaranteed. That final game of the season in San Antonio could end up carrying real

Up Next: Chicago Bulls

The Toronto Raptors will continue their road trip Tuesday night when they take on the Chicago Bulls at 8 p.m. ET.