Toronto Raptors coach has outpouring of love for his players after Game 7

The Toronto Raptors' season came to an end on Sunday with a 114-102 Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But considering how the playoff series started, the outcome doesn't tell the whole story.

After falling behind 2-0, not many expected Toronto to push the series to the distance. Instead, the Raptors battled back to force a Game 7, showing basketball fans around the world that they are a team that doesn't back down.

"We gave it all. We gave everything we got today," said Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković. "They were fighting for every possession. They were fighting for everything on the floor."

Despite the loss, Rajaković called the season an "absolute success."

"I think we created a culture that we're one of the hardest-playing teams in the league. We put a lot of pride in that. Our main guys, they love to play that way."

"I’m really, really proud of everything we were able to accomplish this year. From developing our young guys, from our culture, making the next step… I think this was exactly what this team needed, and I think it’s going to set us up for a lot of success in the future," Rajaković said. 

When asked about what lessons he learned from this season, Rajaković pointed right to his players. 

"I learned how much I love this roster, how much I love my players. That’s what I really learned," he said. "Tomorrow I’m going to be missing coaching those guys. I told them before the game that I want to advance to the next round so that I can continue coaching them and be around them. This is a very special group of people. I am very grateful and thankful to have those guys around me and have a chance to work with them."

"I learned how much I love this roster, how much I love my players." ❤️

Raptors head caoch Darko Rajaković on the most important lesson he learned in the playoffs this season 💯 pic.twitter.com/Zn1vUqQkrt

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 4, 2026

One of the biggest storylines from the series was the contribution from the Raptors' young core.

Forward Collin Murray-Boyles led all rookies in points and rebounds per game in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and made life difficult for Cavs All-Stars James Harden and Evan Mobley throughout the series.

The Raptors also saw a ton of growth from second-year guards Jamal Shead and Ja'Kobe Walter, who were forced into bigger roles with starting point guard Immanuel Quickley sidelined with a hamstring injury. Walter, in particular, led the team with 14 steals over the seven games.

Raptors star Scottie Barnes said he saw the potential of young players long before the playoffs.

"They put in so much work to improve every single day, and I’m proud they’re getting respect, and people got to see that," Barnes said. "They really stepped up, and I couldn’t be prouder."

This Game 7 loss drew comparisons by fans to another first-round playoff exit 12 years ago.

In 2014, a young Raptors team led by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan fell in seven games to a veteran Brooklyn Nets squad featuring Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. That group used the loss as a stepping stone, improving year over year before eventually winning an NBA championship in 2019.

You could argue this current Raptors team is even further along in its development. Toronto played the entire series without Quickley and also missed All-Star Brandon Ingram for the final three games; yet, they still took a veteran Cavaliers team to seven games.

Could this team have beaten Cleveland if they were fully healthy? Who knows. 

But they certainly have the respect from their opponent. 

"That team on the other side is unbelievable," said Cavs head coach Atkinson. "There's a lot of respect for the group of players and coaching staff over there. They have a really bright future."