After locking in the first seed in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors threw it all away by being swept in the second round of the playoffs. This makes them the first top seed in 49 years to get swept before the conference finals.
According to statistics culled by Basketball-Reference.com, the only other team to suffer the same fate was the Baltimore Bullets in the 1969 Eastern Division semifinals, when they were swept by the New York Knicks in four games.
Several critics highly-favored the Cleveland Cavaliers to take the series. Despite boasting of a set of relatively new players, the Cavs still have LeBron James and a ton of playoff veterans.
Article Continues BelowThe Raptors, though the first seed, were considered the underdogs. They have consistently made it to the playoffs the past several years. Yet they always fall short — seemingly afraid to perform at the biggest basketball stage.
In Game 4, the Raptors did not even show a single hint of motivation or courage. The final score was 93-128. Post-game statistics show that not a single player scored at least 20 points.
Their stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry scored just 13 and five points, respectively. DeRozan was even ejected in the third quarter after a flagrant 1 foul on Jordan Clarkson.
It's definitely an unexpectedly-sad ending for the Raptors. In the offseason, critics believe that head coach Dwane Casey — who'll likely take the Coach of the Year Award — will be sacked. The rest of the Raptors' future is uncertain. Is the team going into a rebuild and recalibrate mode after a disappointing playoff run?