5 things: OG Anunoby shakes off rust in regular season finale

Here are five takeaways from the Toronto Raptors' 105-94 loss to the New York Knicks.

One -- There was nothing to play for in the last game of the season. Nick Nurse talked pre-game about maintaining their competitiveness, but he was also sensible in resting Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, while keeping minutes low for his starters and the veterans. The Raptors were locked into the fifth seed regardless of the result, and their opponent at the fourth seed became clear once the Memphis Grizzlies rested their main players against a fully-loaded Boston Celtics side, and with the Philadelphia 76ers holding out James Harden and Joel Embiid for their finale against Detroit. The Raptors used this game as a tune-up and nothing more, and came away unscathed ahead of their meeting with Philadelphia that is set to start next weekend.

Two -- OG Anunoby's return was the only thing of note in this game. Anunoby has played just six games since the All-Star break between a fracture in his right ring finger and a contusion in his right quad, and this last game was a chance for him to shake off some rust ahead of the postseason. Anunoby was far from his best, missing all five of his three-point attempts and looking laboured on his drives, but that is to be expected if he's still shaking off a quad injury. He was sharper in the third quarter, following up his own miss for a driving layup, then hitting a stepback from the midrange with a defender bouncing off him, before calling it a night. Ultimately, the Raptors will have five off days to manage Anunoby's condition, and his health, along with that of Fred VanVleet's knee, which will be huge determinants on Toronto's playoff run. Anunoby will be relied upon heavily as the Raptors' top defensive option against James Harden.

Three -- It was a light night for the Raptors' other rotation pieces. Gary Trent Jr. was aggressive in going to the basket and took a few hits along the way. Scottie Barnes hardly saw the ball nor did he impose himself on the game. Khem Birch was in the right spots defensively and actively avoidant on offence as usual. Chris Boucher provided a pop off the bench with his three-point shooting and had two impressive moves in leading the break. Precious Achiuwa was too overeager on offence and lowered his percentage by forcing his shot, which was a pattern that was more common in the first half of the season. Thaddeus Young continues to be a steadying force who makes smart plays on both ends of the floor, and his footspeed was surprisingly up to par when left on an island against Immanuel Quickley, who is both exceptionally fast and 12 years his junior. Nobody extended themselves too much, and nobody got hurt, which was the most important thing.

Four -- This was one last opportunity for some of the third stringers. Malachi Flynn capitalized on his chance with 28 minutes off the bench, and despite his poor shooting percentages, Flynn played a good game in how he set up his teammates and by winning a few loose balls. Armoni Brooks got the start once again, but he stuck very tightly to his role of only taking threes and not being all that involved offensively despite being the point guard. Yuta Watanabe saw some run in the second half, but could not hit on open threes from the top of the floor and was not particularly impactful in any area. Svi Mykhailiuk got his longest run since January, and was able to knock down two threes. None of them will be in the rotation come time for the playoffs.

Five -- The Raptors 905 lost tonight in the semifinals of the G-League playoffs. Four rostered players were in uniform between Dalano Banton, Justin Champagnie, Issac Bonga and David Johnson, but they could not pull out the win against the Delaware Blue Coats who could not miss from deep. Banton was the clear standout through three quarters, but was exhausted by the fourth and finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double. Champagnie took over the scoring and continues to show that his three-point shot has improved, as he knocked down five threes as part of his 36 points to lead the team. Unfortunately, the timing of the 905 and Raptors games were simultaneous, which robbed them of a chance to potentially play big minutes in the finale against the Knicks.