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When Was the Last Time the Raptors Made the Playoffs?

By Joe Summers

Scottie Barnes of the Raptors hopes to leave a mark in his first playoff appearance
Scottie Barnes of the Raptors hopes to leave a mark in his first playoff appearance / Mark Blinch/GettyImages
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The Toronto Raptors utilized a stellar second half of the season to finish 48-34 and with the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.

They'll take on the No. 4 Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs in hopes of returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since winning a championship in 2019. Toronto won the regular season series 3-1 over the Sixers and are a trendy upset pick.

Peter Dewey has you set with a preview for the series, but let's take a look at the last time the Raptors made the playoffs.

When Was the Last Time the Raptors Made the Playoffs?

The Raptors last made in the playoffs in 2020. They lost in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals to the Celtics after sweeping the Nets in the first round.

In 2019, however, Toronto won the NBA Championship thanks to an incredible postseason from Kawhi Leonard.

Before missing the postseason last year, the Raptors had made the playoffs seven straight times, culminating in that championship run.

Raptors Odds to Win the NBA Championship, Eastern Conference

Toronto is currently listed at +3000 to win the Eastern Conference and +7500 to win the NBA Championship at WynnBET Sportsbook.

I wrote a few days ago why you the Raptors are such a great value to make a deep postseason run, but the argument starts with their defensive versatility. They loaded their roster with rangy, long defenders that can switch against any offense. As a result, they posted the second-best defensive rating in the league over the final 15 games of the season.

Fred vanVleet is no stranger to huge playoff moments from the 2019 Finals run and Pascal Siakam has blossomed into a full-blown star.

If Toronto can upset the Sixers, they'll likely take on the Miami Heat in the second round. Bettors should take a long look at Raptors futures, as their elite defense and excellent coaching from Nick Nurse can carry them far.

How should you navigate the NBA playoffs and futures market? The BetSided has you covered in the NBA edition of "Fraud or Future!"

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