TORONTO — This game probably should never have mattered. The Raptors, who held a cushy five-game lead over the injury-ravaged Celtics a little more than two weeks ago, probably should have locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference by now. Slowly but surely, though, the undermanned Celtics clawed back into contention, and their win over Toronto last weekend improbably made this a race.

Suddenly, Wednesday’s matchup had notable stakes. With a win, Boston would trail Toronto by just one game with four remaining, and it would hold the tiebreaker between the teams. There may have been no clarity until the season’s final day.

But this recent rally might have concealed the truth a bit. The Celtics remain considerably shorthanded, and the Raptors remain dominant at home. The Raptors’ 96-78 win on Wednesday offered a slight dose of reality.

The Celtics could now only surpass Toronto if they win all four of their remaining games while the Raptors lose all four of theirs. That will almost certainly not happen.

So the Celtics will move forward and balance rest and recuperation with maintaining a rhythm, even though it is unclear how much of a rhythm can be maintained on a team that is still lacking four key rotation players.

“We’re going to approach it the same regardless, because of where we are, body-wise,’’ coach Brad Stevens said. “Obviously, [the Raptors] are well into the driver’s seat at No. 1, and if guys are having any nicks or bruises, then they’re going to sit. But I would like to be able to play our group together at least once or twice before we head [into the playoffs].’’

Marcus Morris had 21 points to lead the Celtics, but there were few individual performances worthy of accolades. Boston made just 25 of 75 shots and 3 of 22 3-pointers and was held to a season-low point total. It was a long way from the otherworldly accuracy the Celtics displayed during their recent six-game winning streak, when they became just the second team in NBA history to shoot better than 48 percent from beyond the arc in four consecutive games.

Stevens thought Wednesday’s misfires ultimately leaked into other parts of the game.

“It’s hard to keep playing that way when you’re not making baskets, or at least occasionally making one,’’ he said. “The only reason we were down at halftime was the turnovers, even though we couldn’t score. I think, ultimately, that probably wore on us.’’

For the Celtics, the nadir was a grisly second quarter in which they made 5 of 18 shots and 0 of 6 3-pointers while also coughing up nine turnovers. Even though they lingered for long stretches afterward, that quarter lingered even more.

This team has made a habit of enchanting and unlikely comebacks, but even when the margin was just 12 points early in the fourth quarter, Boston’s pluckiness and energy just seemed different. Maybe it was because the Celtics’ lack of healthy bodies had finally caught up with them, or maybe it was because they were playing the Raptors, who had been dominant for much of this season before this recent quiet spell.

“You always talk on offense about owning your space, and they owned our space all night,’’ Stevens said. “They were very physical. They were very good.’’

One night after playing without their top four point guards, the Celtics at least got a bit of assistance Wednesday, as Terry Rozier returned after being sidelined against the Bucks because of a sore ankle. He looked spry when he carved through the lane and converted an acrobatic layup that gave Boston its first points, but he did not score again in the first half.

Scoring did not come easily for either team before the break. Toronto made just 6 of 23 first-quarter shots and was held without a point for a 4-minute-28-second stretch that started in the first quarter and bled into the second. But the Celtics did little to take advantage.

They coughed up turnovers on four consecutive possessions during one second-quarter span that helped ignite a 20-5 Raptors run. It was probably frustrating for Boston, but it was also somewhat understandable given the lack of players who are accustomed to actually handling the ball. Late in the quarter, 6-foot-8-inch forward Jayson Tatum took a few more turns at point guard, and two plays ended with Toronto racing the other way for fast-break points.

“They had us playing too far out on the court,’’ center Greg Monroe said. “The ball wasn’t moving. We just kept dribbling.’’

The Celtics trailed, 43-33, at halftime, and their offensive slog carried into the third quarter, as they missed their first six shots. The second lengthy scoreless drought stretched for 4:08 before Al Horford hit a jumper.

DeMar DeRozan converted a 3-point play followed by a 3-pointer, and then with 3:31 left Kyle Lowry drilled a three that made it 60-45. The Raptors stretched their lead to as many as 20 points late in the third.

“It is what it is,’’ Morris said. “But I think it’s vital that we get on a good roll going into the playoffs with our heads high and with some type of momentum.’’

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.