Raptors Notes: Lawson, Quickley, Barrett, Battle
Raptors guard/forward A.J. Lawson has been upgraded from questionable to available ahead of Sunday’s Game 4 against Cleveland, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
According to Murphy, head coach Darko Rajakovic said Lawson has been battling a back issue for a couple weeks and has been missing practices. However, the impending free agent will be good to go this afternoon.
Lawson played 14 minutes off the bench in Game 1, but his playing time has dwindled over the course of the first-round series — he logged five minutes in Game 2 and just two minutes in Game 3. The Cavs won both of their home games to open the series, but the Raptors bounced back with their own home victory in Game 3.
Here’s more from Toronto:
- Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley was ruled out for the rest of the series on Friday after aggravating a right hamstring injury. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Quickley re-injured his hamstring when he was doing on-court drills on Thursday. There’s no official timeline for the 26-year-old’s return.
- RJ Barrett played a huge role in helping the Raptors win Game 3, recording 33 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals in 39 minutes. Brandon Ingram praised his teammate’s mentality on Saturday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter video link). “His name has been everywhere (in trade rumors) this year,” Ingram said of Barrett. “His name hasn’t been brought up a lot on the positive side. His mindset is to prove to people that he belongs on this floor.”
- In a video for TSN.ca, Lewenberg and analyst Jack Armstrong consider whether second-year forward Jamison Battle could emerge as a trusted shooter off the bench with Quickley sidelined. The 24-year-old only received three combined minutes in the first two games of the series, but he was a significant contributor in Game 3, converting all five of his field goal attempts — including four three-pointers — en route to 14 points in 16 minutes.
Immanuel Quickley Ruled Out For Remainer Of First Round
Immanuel Quickley has been ruled out for the rest of the Raptors‘ first-round series against the Cavaliers, the team announced (Twitter link via Marc Stein).
Quickley missed the first three games of the playoffs due to a right hamstring injury. According to the team, he re-injured that hamstring during the course of his ramp-up process.
The Raptors’ release doesn’t provide a timetable for Quickley’s recovery or indicate whether he might return if the Raptors win the series, which they currently trail 2-1. The club simply states that his status will be updated “as appropriate.”
After an injury plagued 2024/25 campaign, Quickley played 70 games this season, averaging 16.4 points and 5.9 assists per contest. In his absence, Jamal Shead has started two playoff games, while Ja’Kobe Walter started Game 3, a 126-104 victory.
It’s unclear who will start in Quickley’s place moving forward, with Shead, Walter, and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles all potentially in the mix. Murray-Boyles was very effective in Game 3, scoring 22 points and adding eight rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.
Injury Notes: Gordon, Quickley, Durant, Reaves, Lillard, LaRavia
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon will miss Game 3 against the Wolves on Thursday due to a calf injury, as first reported by NBA insider Chris Haynes (via Twitter). With the series tied at one game apiece, Gordon’s absence is significant, especially with breakout reserve forward Peyton Watson still working his way back from a hamstring injury that will cause him to miss Game 3 as well.
Gordon played 37 minutes in Denver’s five-point loss to the Wolves on Monday, and while he posted a modest stat line, his defense on Julius Randle and his offensive versatility are a major part of the Nuggets’ game plan.
The injury is being described as left calf tightness. Gordon had previously been listed as probable before being downgraded to questionable earlier today.
We have more injury news from around the playoffs:
- Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley will remain sidelined for Game 3 of the team’s series vs. Cleveland on Thursday, Josh Lewenberg of TSN notes (via Twitter). Quickley missed each of the first two games of the series due to a hamstring injury that has kept him on the shelf since April 12. Jamal Shead started each of those two games in his place.
- Kevin Durant is being listed as questionable for the Rockets‘ Game 3 against the Lakers due to a left ankle sprain, Jovan Buha notes (via Twitter). This is seemingly unrelated to the knee injury that sidelined the veteran for Game 1. Durant played 41 minutes in Game 2 and struggled against the Lakers’ constant double-teams, amassing nine turnovers to four assists.
- The Lakers could see more reinforcements on the way soon, as Austin Reaves has been upgraded to questionable, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). Reaves was expected to be out for four to six weeks due to his left oblique strain, but if he’s able to play in Game 3, he’d be back at around three weeks.
- After the Trail Blazers posted a video of Damian Lillard getting shots up, there were questions about whether the star guard could return from his ruptured Achilles tendon during this year’s playoffs. Head coach Tiago Splitter didn’t rule out the possibility completely, but he did say it was unlikely, according to Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). When asked specifically about the return, Splitter gave a two-word response: “Probably not.”
- Jake LaRavia is day-to-day with a low-grade ankle sprain, according to Lakers coach JJ Redick, via Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). LaRavia went scoreless in 16 minutes in Game 2 against the Rockets after scoring six points in 18 minutes in Game 1. The 6’7″ forward played all 82 regular season games this season for Los Angeles.
Raptors Notes: Ingram, Poeltl, Quickley, Ownership
After attempting just nine shots from the floor in the Raptors‘ Game 1 loss in Cleveland on Saturday, Brandon Ingram was determined to be more aggressive against Cleveland’s defense in Game 2. However, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes, Ingram wasn’t effective in Toronto’s second straight loss on Monday, missing all six of his shot attempts in the first half and finishing the game with just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting.
“Of course it would happen if you ask for more shots, that you would miss more shots,” Ingram said after Game 2. “I liked the looks that I had. I’ll continue to be aggressive. I’ll do a better job of keeping the defense off balance by getting my teammates involved and still shooting the shots that I need to shoot. It’s game to game. You make adjustments. I won’t miss all my shots.”
A star player seeking more shots and then not making the most of them could be a source of friction in some locker rooms, writes Grange, but he says that’s not the case in Toronto. Although the team heads home down 2-0 in the series and with its leading scorer averaging just 12.0 PPG on 33.3% shooting, Ingram’s teammates – including Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett – know they need the All-Star forward to find his groove to have a chance to upset the Cavaliers.
“I just told him, ‘Stay in it. Stay in it. We need you,'” Barrett said of his message to Ingram in Monday’s second half. “He’s got us here, man. Like, the whole season, it’s been amazing for us. He’s been an All-Star. So just told him to stay in it, keep his head in it, that we need him. Because you know when I have my off nights, you know he’s right there to pick me up.”
Here are a few more items of interest on the Raptors before Thursday’s Game 3:
- After veteran big man Jakob Poeltl played just nine minutes in Game 2 and was benched in favor of rookie Collin Murray-Boyles at the start of the second half, head coach Darko Rajakovic wouldn’t say on Wednesday whether he might change his starting lineup for Game 3, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). However, he did tell reporters that he expects more out of his veteran center. “He needs to be part of the solution for us,” Rajakovic said of Poeltl. “He needs to be more aggressive. He needs to dominate the glass. … He’s going to be a big part of Game 3 and I believe he’s going to perform really well.”
- Will Immanuel Quickley be available for Game 3 after missing the first two games of the series with a hamstring injury? The Raptors haven’t put out their injury report yet, but the starting point guard did some individual on-court work after Wednesday’s practice, tweets Lewenberg. Rajakovic said Quickley is “getting better every day,” according to Grange (Twitter link).
- Rogers Communications, the Canadian media and communications giant that currently controls 75% of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the Raptors’ parent company, intends to buy the remaining 25% later this year, as Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico details. Once that purchase is completed, Rogers will look to bring in minority investors for its sports assets, per Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri. In addition to the Raptors, MLSE also controls the NHL’s Maple Leafs, MLB’s Blue Jays, and MLS’ Toronto FC. Staffieri estimated that the company’s sports assets, which would likely include media properties such as Sportsnet, will have a total value exceeding $18 billion USD.
Raptors Guard Immanuel Quickley Won’t Play In Game 1
11:36am: Shead is listed in the starting lineup.
10:54am: Immanuel Quickley won’t play for the Raptors in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Cavaliers this afternoon, Michael Grange of Sportsnet tweets.
Quickley had been listed as questionable due to a hamstring injury. Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic told the media this morning that Quickley wouldn’t suit up.
Quickley, who was already battling right foot plantar fasciitis, strained his right hamstring in Toronto’s regular season finale against Brooklyn on April 12. Quickley said this week he wasn’t sure if the injuries were related.
“Just day-to-day. Trying to take care of myself so I can be back on the floor with my teammates,” Quickley said.
Quickley averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game this season, including 13.3 PPG and 6.3 APG in three games against the Cavaliers.
His absence puts more onus on key backcourt backups, Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter, to hold their own against Cleveland’s high-scoring duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Rajakovic declined to say whether Shead or Walter would start in Quickley’s place.
Injury Notes: Edwards, Diabate, Quickley, Bryant
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s Game 1 at Denver, the team announced (via Twitter). The former No. 1 overall pick’s injury designation is right knee injury maintenance.
While Edwards’ status suggests he may or may not play tomorrow, he was doing on-court work after Friday’s practice, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic “fully expects” the 24-year-old shooting guard to suit up on Saturday (Twitter link).
Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- Starting center Moussa Diabate (left hip soreness) has been upgraded from questionable to available for Friday’s contest at Orlando, the Hornets announced (Twitter link). As we noted in our poll this morning, the winners of tonight’s play-in games will advance as the No. 8 seeds in their respective conferences, with the losers being eliminated from postseason contention.
- Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley is questionable for Game 1 at Cleveland on Saturday, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Quickley, who was already battling right foot plantar fasciitis, strained his right hamstring in Toronto’s regular season finale vs. Brooklyn on April 12. The 26-year-old said he wasn’t sure if the injuries were related, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). “Just day-to-day. Trying to take care of myself so I can be back on the floor with my teammates,” Quickley said.
- Cavaliers backup center Thomas Bryant, who missed the last four games of the regular season due to a left calf strain, has been ruled out of Saturday’s game vs. Toronto, per the league’s official injury report. The veteran big man, a free agent this summer, averaged 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game across 60 appearances in 2025/26. His shooting slash line was .506/.359/.803.
Raptors Notes: Barnes, Quickley, Ingram, Walter
Scottie Barnes had an excellent all-around season in 2025/26 and should be a lock for a spot on an All-Defensive team, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says the two-time All-Star will have to take his game to another level in the playoffs for the Raptors to have “a real shot” in their first-round series vs. Cleveland.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic is confident Barnes’ play will translate well to the postseason. The 24-year-old hasn’t been in the playoffs since he was a rookie in ’21/22.
“I think the way Scottie’s competing, the way Scottie is contributing to the team at so many levels, it’s built for a playoff series,” Rajakovic said. “It’s a stage he’s going to be shining [on]. He just needs to be himself and do what he does, and I think that’s more than enough.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- In addition to taking on challenging defensive assignments, Barnes will also have more play-making duties because Immanuel Quickley remains hobbled by hamstring and foot injuries, Lewenberg notes. Toronto’s starting point guard was unable to practice this week and his status for Saturday’s Game 1 is up in the air, Lewenberg adds.
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic takes a look at Brandon Ingram‘s bounce-back first season with Toronto, which resulted in his second All-Star berth and 77 regular season appearances, his highest total since he was a rookie nine years ago. Ingram had been plagued by various injuries in recent years, including an ankle issue which limited him to a career-low 18 games played last season. Part of the reason he was more available this season is because Ingram learned not to overexert himself when he went through a rough patch. The 28-year-old forward credited the team’s medical staff for keeping close tabs on his activity level. “(It’s) just constant communication. ‘How’s your body feeling? Is this a day we pull back a little bit? Is this a day we can still go hard?’” Ingram said. “They’re giving me all the information I need to know if I need to exert or if I need to take a step back.”
- After an uneven start to his second NBA season, Ja’Kobe Walter thrived after the All-Star break and emerged as a key contributor for the Raptors, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Veteran Garrett Temple and Rajakovic praised Walter’s competitiveness, adaptability and how easy he is to coach, while Barnes complimented the 21-year-old’s three-and-D skill set. “We all know he’s been great defensively for us,” Barnes said. “Being able to put pressure on the ball, turning guys, trapping guys, helping us get out and run, but his shooting is just something that we need on our team, and he’s been on fire. Each shot he takes, it feels like it’s going in and he’s been super important for our team. Sometimes, we get in these ruts where we’re not making shots. But we can count on him to play defense and make shots.”
Raptors Notes: Barrett, Rajakovic, Ingram, Quickley, Temple
Raptors forward RJ Barrett was thrilled to clinch his first playoff appearance with his hometown team, as Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Toronto secured a playoff berth after blowing out Brooklyn on Sunday.
“I don’t even know what to say,” said Barrett, grinning broadly. “Just from when I got here, I would always be one of the ones saying, when you do things the right way, the results are going to come. We’ve been doing things the right way. We’ve been working, building. This is the result of that. Obviously, it’s still a process. But this is a good step for us. I don’t think many people thought we were gonna be here. I’m just very proud of this group, how hard we work, how together we are.”
The main reason the Raptors are back in the playoffs for the first time in four years is because they followed the lead of head coach Darko Rajakovic, according to Koreen. Rajakovic said during training camp the team would improve its half-court offense, force turnovers on defense, and score points in transition, all of which came to fruition as Toronto went 46-36, a 16-game improvement on 2024/25’s 30-52 mark.
Rajakovic is the first European-born head coach to lead an NBA team to the playoffs, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Rajakovic initially downplayed the achievement before praising those who came before him.
“Well there’s not many of us, it’s no huge accomplishment,” he said. “ … So many players, so many coaches from ex-Yugoslavia, especially Serbia, made this path possible. … Without their successes, I would never be (here).”
Here’s more from Toronto:
- All-Star forward Brandon Ingram played in 77 regular season games in 2025/26, by far his most appearances since he was a rookie, Koreen notes. The 28-year-old said he believed in the Raptors’ potential after the team acquired him ahead of the February 2025 deadline. “I saw the team before I integrated into it. I saw how hard everyone worked, the care factor from every player, one through 15,” said Ingram, who missed most of last season with an ankle injury. “Even the coaching staff, how they adjust game to game, the focus on the defensive end and letting it transition to the offensive end (was huge). And I thought if I could step into the fold and be effective, that we would be … right where we are today.”
- While the Raptors were understandably happy to make the playoffs, the news wasn’t all positive on Sunday. Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley, who was already hampered by plantar fasciitis in his right foot, suffered a “mild” hamstring strain during the victory over Brooklyn and is considered day-to-day, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Quickley will be available for Game 1 of Toronto’s first-round series against Cleveland, which tips off on Saturday. Even if Quickley is active, it certainly sounds like he’ll be less than 100%.
- Veteran wing Garrett Temple has been one of Toronto’s locker room leaders the past few years, but he recognizes his career is nearing its end, according to Grange. “I’m 17 years in, I’m definitely thinking about (retirement),” Temple told Grange. “Now, if I’m thinking about it, doing it this year or next year or the year after, who knows. But it’s definitely on my radar. I’m closer to retirement than the beginning of my career, that’s for sure. So, you know, we’ll see what happens. But I’m cherishing this time for sure. It went by fast, and the rest, whether it’s a year, two years or whatever, it will go by faster.”
Raptors Clinch Final Guaranteed Playoff Spot In East
The Raptors have clinched a playoff spot in the East after beating the Nets 136-101. This will be Toronto’s first playoff appearance in four years.
Scottie Barnes closed out his season with an 18-point triple-double, while RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram contributed 26 and 25 points, respectively.
“It’s a big relief,” Barnes said about reaching the playoffs for the first time since his rookie season, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link).
It wasn’t all good news for Toronto though. Immanuel Quickley left the game after just 17 minutes with right hamstring tightness, according to TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter link). Quickley has been battling plantar fasciitis in recent weeks, but avoiding the play-in will allow the point guard more time to get healthy before the Raptors’ first-round matchup.
Because they won on Sunday and the Hawks dropped their regular season finale to Miami, the Raptors will enter the postseason as the East’s No. 5 seed, with Atlanta slipping to No. 6.
The Sixers and Magic were also in the hunt for a top-six spot in the East entering Sunday, and while Toronto’s victory kept both teams in play-in territory, the 76ers finished their season with a win over Milwaukee to claim the No. 7 seed. Despite facing a Celtics team sitting their entire starting lineup, Orlando lost on Sunday to slip to No. 8 and will visit Philadelphia in the play-in tournament, with the No. 9 Hornets hosting the No. 10 Heat.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Embiid, Grimes, Ingram, CMB
The nine players the Knicks used in Thursday’s win over Boston will likely make up the team’s playoff rotation, head coach Mike Brown said after the game, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. That group includes starters Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Miles Bridges and Josh Hart, plus reserves Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, and Jordan Clarkson.
“Those guys are probably our top nine when you’re talking about the playoffs,” Brown said. “And it’s hard to play more than nine guys (in the playoffs).”
While it’s probably no shock that rookie forward Mohamed Diawara and second-year guard Tyler Kolek didn’t make the cut, it’s notable that veteran guard Jose Alvarado – whom New York gave up a couple second-round picks to acquire in February – isn’t among that top nine. The former Pelican has been a DNP-CD in each of the Knicks’ past two games, but he suggested on Thursday that he’s unfazed by his declining role.
“I’m good. I’m chilling. I’m ready for my moment. I’m ready for my name to get called, whenever it is,” Alvarado said, according to Bondy. “Like you said, I started off here high. That was the best way to start. So there’s only one way to go — down. We just stay there mentally. This is my home team. I love the organization, I love the Knicks. So just whenever it’s Jose’s time, whenever that time is, I’m ready.”
Here’s more from out of the Atlantic:
- Joel Embiid‘s emergency appendectomy changes everything for the Sixers, making the team’s path to a playoff spot more difficult and significantly reducing its odds of winning a series, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. The 76ers issued an update on Embiid on Friday, announcing that he’s returning to Philadelphia following a successful procedure in Houston, but no timeline has been set for his return to basketball activities (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports).
- Quentin Grimes will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after accepting his one-year qualifying offer as a RFA last offseason. The Sixers guard’s role has fluctuated throughout the season with teammates in and out of the lineup, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, but Grimes recently described his performance in 2025/26 as “solid” and he believes he “maximized” his opportunities. “Be in attack mode. Be a good on-ball defender. Make plays for myself and teammates,” Grimes said last week. “The whole year has asked for me to do different things. But I feel like, when the whole team’s healthy, my natural self is still playing my same game I’ve been playing the whole year.”
- There was some uncertainty entering the fall about what the Raptors could expect from forward Brandon Ingram – who missed most of last season due to ankle injury – and lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles, who wasn’t viewed as an immediate difference-maker at the NBA level. But Toronto has gotten near best-case outcomes from both players, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who says Ingram’s All-Star play and Murray-Boyles’ rapid development have helped get Toronto on the verge of its first playoff appearance since 2022. The Raptors can clinch a playoff berth with a win over New York on Friday, but they’ll be missing Murray-Boyles (neck sprain) and point guard Immanuel Quickley (plantar fasciitis injury management), tweets Grange.
Rory Maher contributed to this post.