Lottery Look: Raptors Get Ideal Results Sunday With Help From Others

The Toronto Raptors saw the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers both win on Sunday in what turned into a big night for Toronto's draft lottery outlook

Mar 16, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) and Raptors’ center Orlando Robinson (21) react after being called for a foul against Portland Trail Blazers in the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

It finally worked.

The Toronto Raptors have been adjusting their rotation for a while now, looking for ways to give away late leads. They have repeatedly pulled their best players in recent games to maintain or improve their lottery odds. Too often, the plan has failed.

On Sunday, though, Toronto got it right.

With just over five minutes left against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Raptors called a timeout while leading by six in the fourth quarter. It was the last time any of their regulars saw the floor. Jakob Poeltl checked out for good, and Toronto closed the game with AJ Lawson, Jamison Battle, Colin Castleton, Orlando Robinson, and Ochai Agbaji, who was playing his first game back from injury. The lineup had no point guard and little chance of staying competitive.

Toronto managed just seven points over the final five minutes as Portland rallied to pull off a three-point victory. Even when the Raptors had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, their last hope was a Robinson three-pointer that Matisse Thybulle swatted away.

From a draft lottery perspective, it was a perfect outcome.

The loss was significant, with the Trail Blazers sitting just four games behind Toronto in the reverse standings before tipoff and another head-to-head matchup still to come. Had the Raptors won, that gap would have narrowed considerably, especially with how soft their remaining schedule looks.

This is likely how the rest of the season will play out. Toronto has been alternating rest days for Poeltl and Immanuel Quickley since March 7, and the expectation is that they will continue playing Scottie Barnes and their top players in first halves before limiting their minutes down the stretch to increase their chances of losing in crunch time.

Sunday also brought more good news for the Raptors, with both the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers picking up wins. That further tightened Toronto’s margin for the league’s fifth-worst record. Catching Brooklyn or Philadelphia may be difficult given how easy the Raptors’ schedule remains, but with just one win separating Toronto from the Nets, there is still time to move further down the standings.

For now, the Raptors should get a break from the league’s worst teams, with upcoming road games against the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. Two losses this week would give Toronto some breathing room ahead of Chicago, San Antonio, and Portland, who are all trailing in the lottery race. After that, though, the Raptors will likely return to some shameless tanking as they cling to slim hopes of landing a top-four pick in this year's draft.