All the Raptors needed to do was junk up the game, make a ton of shots, get career nights out of a couple of players and catch the Bulls on an off-night.
It was a bit too much to ask.
An eight-man band reduced to the league minimum through injury, illness and suspension needed a perfect mix of extraordinary play and good fortune and got neither in a 122-113 loss to Chicago on Thursday night.
It was a costly defeat as Toronto fell three games behind the Bulls in the race for the final spot in the newfangled play-in tournament for the NBA playoffs, but it should come as no surprise.