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[Toronto Raptors]

Toronto Raptors host Washington Wizards, looking for sixth straight win

After winning their fifth straight, and their ninth in the last 10 games on Wednesday, the Toronto Raptors are back at home tonight to play the lowly Washington Wizards for an NBA Cup matchup.

The Raptors have faced one of the league’s toughest schedules to this point in the season, having played just five home games versus 10 on the road. Despite the travel-heavy schedule, they enter Friday’s game at 10-5, good for second in the Eastern Conference.

The Raptors are hitting an easier stretch of their schedule that, on paper, gives them an opportunity to build on the hot start they’ve gotten off to.

That stretch starts with tonight’s opponent, the Wizards, who have a league-worst record of 1-13. A Raptors win would be the team’s sixth in a row – their longest winning streak since the 2021-22 season, when the team finished 48-34 and made their most recent playoff appearance.

Toronto will need to ensure that they don’t take things easy against an inferior opponent. A win not only gets them to a six-game streak, but could also clinch their first-ever appearance in the NBA Cup knockout round.

The game starts at 7:30 pm ET on TSN. The Raptors’ rookie Colin Murray-Boyles is OUT (knee). For the Wizards, Marvin Bagley III is doubtful (hip) while Alex Sarr is questionable (toe) to play.

Some things we’re thinking about include…

The Cup​

We’re all still figuring out how much to care about the NBA Cup. But this is the best the Raptors have ever been since the NBA Cup entered our lives, so why not get excited!

With a win, and a loss by the 2-13 Indiana Pacers vs. the 10-6 Cleveland Cavaliers, the Raptors would clinch their first ever knockout round appearance. They’d also be the first team to clinch a spot this season. Meanwhile, a loss to the last-place Wizards would be doubly embarrassing in this Cup match: The Wizards, at 0-9, are the only team in the league who’ve never won a single NBA Cup game. So while the Raptors look to extend their ongoing winning streak, they’ll also look to avoid letting the Wizards snap their own streak (as well as, of course, the 13-game losing streak they’ve been on since winning the season opener).

The Raptors will mark the fact that it’s an NBA Cup game with an extremely loud, extremely red court covered in the phrase “We the North.”

The Raptors NBA Cup court for this season: pic.twitter.com/f5C9teStt4

— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 24, 2025

The beautiful game​

The Raptors are playing beautiful team basketball, and the team’s chemistry has shone through their unselfish play. Against the Sixers on Wednesday they registered 33 assists on 45 made shots.

“We won the game on an assist, that’s a testament to our play,” Barrett said after the team’s win against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Barrett scored the game-winning bucket off a pass from Brandon Ingram, who found Barrett with a nice look while double teamed.

Meanwhile, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl have found a visible synergy with one another that’s manifested in exquisite interior pass after exquisite interior pass. The big-to-big game has been a delight to watch. Having now played with each other for close to three years, the duo have developed a heightened sense of where the other is – and where they’re going – on the court, which has allowed for some nice no-look passes.

Scottie Barnes throwing dime after time to Jakob Poeltl. Rarely see big-to-big passing like this in the NBA these days but there are some really creative finds here. https://t.co/p2xGzJOAfL pic.twitter.com/SoDhRfCPyS

— William Lou (@william_lou) November 20, 2025

Ja’Kobe Walter ​

It hasn’t been an ideal start to Ja’Kobe Walter’s sophomore NBA season. But Wednesday’s win against the Sixers was a highly encouraging game for Walter, who reached double-digit scoring for the first time this season with 11 points on 4/5 shooting. Importantly, Walter looked confident and decisive.

Walter spoke about that confidence and the role that Darko Rajakovic – an early Coach of the Year candidate! – played in him rising to the occasion.

“Coach was giving me good advice, to not think about anything else, and just play free,” Walter said. “They saw how free I felt in Summer League, and he was just like, ‘It’s just like Summer League. Just play your game.’”

Walter has an opportunity to build off that game and play more like how he did in Summer League – and that opportunity comes against the Wizards, the NBA team that most closely resembles a Summer League roster.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-g...ington-wizards-looking-for-sixth-straight-win

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors rout the Wizards, 140-100, and advance to NBA Cup knockout stage

Break up the streaking Toronto Raptors!

For the first time since its inception two seasons ago, the Toronto Raptors have qualified for the knockout stage of the NBA Cup. The Raptors routed the visiting Washington Wizards, 140-100, in the third game of the round robin stage. Combined with Indiana’s loss to Cleveland, the Raptors clinched first place in Group A of the NBA Cup with one round robin game to spare. Once again, Toronto, who have now won 10 of its last 11 games and currently sit in 2nd place in the East, got contributions up and down the roster. Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett each(!) had 24 points and 8 rebounds. Scottie Barnes poured in 23 points on an uber-efficient 10-for-15 shooting, in addition to getting 3 steals. Sandro Mamukelashvili led all reserves — and repeatedly delighted the Scotiabank Arena crowd — with 23 points and 7 rebounds. Immanuel Quickley continued his hot shooting of late with 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting to go along with 7 assists. The starters, including Jakob Poeltl, and Mamu combined to shoot 59% from the field.

CJ McCollum led the Wizards with 20 points. The rest of Washington’s starters combined to also score 20 points, in case you’re wondering about the state of Wizards basketball.

GROUP A BELONGS TO US — ON TO THE NEXT pic.twitter.com/Pj9hdPAYAS

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 22, 2025

Raptors started the game scoring 11 of the first 13 points with relatively little resistance from the NBA’s 29th-ranked defense. Washington’s 28th-ranked offense also proved its ranking, missing 6 of its first 7 shots, before Brian Keefe called the first timeout and his team down 11-2.

Recurring themes from Toronto’s current hot streak — winners of 9 of the last 10 games — were imprinted throughout the first quarter. The team generated 5 turnovers. Brandon Ingram’s had an emphatic block on a Cam Whitmore drive and stole the ball from Kyshawn George like it owed him lunch money.

Ingram gets the steal Mamukelashvili throws it down pic.twitter.com/v5RnapJctS

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 22, 2025

Mamukelashvili reached his quota of exciting the Scotiabank Arena fans with a steal and breakaway layup in the dying seconds of the quarter. Toronto ended the first quarter with a 31-20 lead.

In the second quarter, the Wizards took better care of the ball. Unfortunately for Washington, that didn’t solve its issue with scoring as they missed 9 of its first 12 field goal attempts in the quarter. The Wizards entered the game with a 1-13 record and the offense on display tonight validated the poor record. Offensive possessions had very little ball movement, players staying in one spot, and no penchant to crash the boards. Outside of CJ McCollum, who pitched in with a modest eight points in the first half, the other four Wizards starters combined to shoot 2-for-16(!).

Yet, the Wizards outscored the Raptors 27-26 in the second quarter. Rookie, Tre Johnson, led the way for Washington with 9 points, as he hit all 3 of his three-point attempts. Ingram and Mamukelashvili didn’t help the cause as they shot a combined 2-for-11 in the quarter. Washington’s bench outscored Toronto’s 29-15. Still, the Raptors entered halftime with a 57-47 lead and a victory well within its sights.

Washington was playing without its leading scorer and rebounder, Alex Sarr, who missed his second consecutive game with toe injury. Toronto was without Collin Murray-Boyles for a second consecutive game as well, as he deals with an MCL strain in his right knee.

With “only” a 10-point advantage against a largely inferior foe, the Raptors came out of halftime with some extra juice. Scottie Barnes posted up and scored a couple of times. Ingram had extra bounce in his step as he slithered his way to smooth mid-range buckets. Quickley had a steal and assisted RJ Barrett on a breakaway layup on Washington’s opening possession. By the time Barnes drained his second triple of the quarter, and his 10th points of the quarter, Toronto’s lead grew to 81-64.

Beautiful basketball happens when elite skill meets collective, unselfish play pic.twitter.com/YBWUhnzNMO

— Amit Mann (@Amit_Mann) November 22, 2025

The Raptors kept pouring it on the third quarter. Barnes finished the quarter shooting 6-for-7 and scoring 14 points to go along with two steals. Barrett added 10 points in the frame. Toronto forced 7 more turnovers as they punished the Wizards in all facets, outscoring Washington by 18 points in the quarter. The 48 points Toronto scored in the frame was a franchise record. The Raptors entered the fourth quarter with a 105-77 lead.

Raptors have a 44-point, 45-point, and now a 48-point quarter this season. somehow all of them have been in the third quarter.

— William Lou (@william_lou) November 22, 2025

The Raptors received a scare in the fourth quarter when Ingram rolled his ankle on a jump shot. Bub Carrington, who was defending Ingram’s mid-range jumper, did not give Ingram enough space to land, resulting in Brandon rolling his right ankle when he landed. Ingram was visibly upset as he slapped right foot repeatedly on the ground until he was lifted up. Carrington was charged with a flagrant foul. Ingram was able to take the flagrant free throw before exiting the game…….on his own, without assistance and without limping. Phew!

Ironically, the NBA Cup’s format may have indirectly played a role in Ingram’s incident. With the Raptors already up by 28 points and only 7 minutes remaining, Darko would likely have pulled out his starters but, with point differential a factor in determining seedings, Toronto still had four of its starters in the game.

MAMU WITH THE EXCLAMATION POINT!

Raptors can clinch East Group A with a win

Catch the finish on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/2vQRncl7a9 pic.twitter.com/1kkETeUnNA

— NBA (@NBA) November 22, 2025

Toronto entered the game as 14.5 point favourites. In its 31 seasons, the Raptors were a perfect 15-0 when favoured by that much. The 16th win was definitely sweet as Toronto prepares for its first trip to the NBA Cup playoffs.

The Raptors will look to keep the good times rolling when the Brooklyn Nets roll into town on Sunday. After a back-to-back with the Cleveland Cavaliers (and a chance to sweep the season series!), the Raptors play its final round robin game of the NBA Cup when the Pacers visit Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-s...140-100-and-advance-to-nba-cup-knockout-stage

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Preview: Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets

The Toronto Raptors once again go toe-to-toe with the Brooklyn Nets, this time as the host. With the previous game only 12 days ago going in the Raptors favour, this could be an opportunity to extend their winning streak from 6 to 7. The last time the Raptors had 7 straight wins was Mar 3, 2020 to Aug 7, 2020 during the bubble season.

Since their last meeting, Brooklyn has gone 2-2, now with an overall record of 3-12. One of those wins came against the Wizards (so it doesn’t really count) and the other a surprise against the Celtics, who lost control of the game around the half and never got it back. The Nets are going to try and build on that momentum now as they continue to struggle at the bottom of the Atlantic division.

Despite any mistakes, the Nets were able to hold their own for much of the last game. They outscored the Raptors in the first frame and matched or were within a possession of Toronto’s scoring every quarter except the second. The Raptors were able to create the 10-point margin of victory in that frame. While they can hope for a similar opportunity in this matchup, they can’t expect it.

Brooklyn will expect their starting 5 to be the biggest contributors once again with 4 of the 5 hitting double figures the last time around. Michael Porter Jr. will look to improve his long range shooting, previously going only 1 for 6. He can be streaky at times, but when his shots are falling this could create trouble for Toronto. Claxton and Clowney will look to improve their control of the paint, giving away 13 offensive rebounds in the previous contest.

In the last matchup, rebounding was one of Toronto’s greatest strengths. Finishing the game with 50 and having outrebounded the Nets by 14, maintaining control of the boards was a key to their 10-point victory. Poeltl was responsible for 10 of those, but will sit out this game with injury management, leaving a vacancy that will need to be filled by committee. Ingram and RJ should both look to help, along with Mamu who will be seeing Brooklyn for the first time this year.

Minimizing turnovers again will also play in Toronto’s favour. Despite averaging 14.3 per game (5th in the NBA) they only had 8 last time around. Shead and Quickley had both done well this season as ball-handlers, and have helped set the tone for good passing. If they can take care of the ball again this game, it will be another way for them to prevent more Brooklyn possessions.

The other challenge will be managing load, with this being the first in a back-to-back home-stand. On Monday, they’ll face a much tougher opponent in the Cleveland Cavaliers, and will want to preserve some energy for that contest. Handling business early and building a lead that allows them to greater utilize the depth of the bench tonight could help keep the winning streak alive even longer.

Where to watch

Tune in to Sportsnet at 6pm ET!

Probable Starters

Toronto: Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Ochai Agbaji

Brooklyn: Nic Claxton, Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney, Terance Mann, Egor Demin

Injury Report

Toronto: Collin Murray-Boyles (Questionable: MCL sprain), Jakob Poeltl (Out: Injury management)

Brooklyn: Nic Claxton (Probable: Elbow sprain), Egor Demin (Probable: Jaw soreness), Haywood Highsmith (Out: Right knee surgery), Ben Saraf (Out: Ankle sprain), Cam Thomas (Out: Hamstring strain), Nolan Traore (Out: G-League), Danny Wolf (Out: G-League)

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-game-previews/48648/preview-toronto-raptors-vs-brooklyn-nets

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors’ resilience tested in clutch win over Brooklyn

Sunday evening’s Toronto Raptors game had a few implications. It was the second game of a four-game homestand, the first night of a home back-to-back, and a chance for the Raptors to win their seventh game in a row. Even better for their chances was the fact that they were playing the 3-12 Brooklyn Nets, even if they had just won against Boston in their last game.

Before the game, Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic made it clear that they do not let things like their opponents’ records to change their strategy. “We are playing in the best league in the world,” Rajakovic said,“ We respect [our opponents], and we will go out there and compete to the best of our ability.”

The Raptors were missing Jakob Poeltl, on rest to manage for the first night of the back-to-back. He has struggled with a back injury this season, and keeping him out against Brooklyn was more of a precaution.

It seems like this current Raptors team is answering so many of the questions held onto them in the first weeks of the season. Any doubts on them have been essentially eradicated as this team has found its footing in the NBA this season. They are proving themselves league-wide by being one of the top teams in their conference and also being the first team in the league to clinch a spot in the NBA Cup knockout rounds.

Struggles are still going to come, though, as was represented in this game against the Nets. The Raptors have four games in six nights this week, and this is the first game in a back-to-back. RJ Barrett went out in the third quarter and was soon diagnosed with a right knee sprain, making him miss the rest of the game. Barnes and Ingram both had slower games through three quarters, making it so the Nets were always right there behind them.

Yet, even amidst struggle, this team is still incredibly fun to watch. It was a fantastic clutch-game performance that bolstered the Raptors to their seventh-straight win, proving this team is the real deal even when it takes a little longer to get there. Toronto got the win 119-109 over Brooklyn.

It was the bench that really held the Raptors together for a lot of the game, with Ja’Kobe Walter scoring 16 points off the bench through the first three quarters. Until the starters found their rhythm in the fourth, it was really those second-unit guys who held the team up. With Barrett out, Jamal Shead played more in the fourth, and the Raptors went to the two-point guard lineup of Shead and Quickley that has proved to be productive over the past few weeks.

“That’s what we expect from our bench,” said Rajakovic after the game.

The Raptors have been forced to perform in clutch game situations — less than five-point deficits with under five minutes to go — a few times in the past few weeks. Each time, they’ve been able to hold strong. Tonight’s win brings them to 5-2 in clutch games this season. Tonight, it was Immanuel Quickley who showed out in those last few minutes, making several shots that ended up being key to the Raptors’ winning the game.

In the end, all five starters scored in double-digits, leading the Raptors to a win in a game that seemed just a little harder than some of the others they have played in the past few weeks. This resilience is the real test, though, and being able to play through it makes the Raptors tougher.

“I thought [Ingram] made a few key plays there offensively,” Rajakovic said about the Raptors’ ability to push through.

Ingram was not the team’s highest scorer tonight, but he came through when the team needed him. It was Ingram who made the shot to bring the Raptors up 102-100 over the Nets, and then he assisted one og Immanuel Quickley’s shots to pull the Raptors away for good. Ingram also scored his 10,000th career point tonight, making him the fastest player in his draft class to reach that milestone (512 games).

Now with seven consecutive wins in a row under their belts, the Raptors will be tested again tomorrow when the Cavaliers are in town. It will be the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, which brings the chance for… wild hoops.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-s...o-raptors-brooklyn-nets-game-recap-win-streak

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Brandon Ingram has revived the Toronto Raptors

One thing the Toronto Raptors have proven during this winning stretch of basketball is the fact that this team has depth. That’s been tested during this four-game homestand, as they deal with wear and tear. Last night, it was Jakob Poeltl who sat out because of rest, but RJ Barrett left the game early due to a non-contact knee injury. This caused the Raptors to be short-handed for the second night in a row, as Barrett stayed out of the game against Cleveland.

Luckily, Barrett’s absence wasn’t a detriment, and the Raptors came out on top with a 110-99 win over Cleveland, their 8th straight win. Brandon Ingram scored 37 points, his best performance as a Raptor yet.

Ingram is up to 37 points. It's the most he's scored since *checks notes* Feb. 5, 2024 against… Toronto.

He had 41 points on 21 shots in 30 minutes, as the Pels beat the Raptors by 38 points in NOLA.

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) November 25, 2025

The good news with Barrett is that his knee injury is just a sprain and doesn’t seem to be too serious. Darko told the media before the game that he had further scans done on it during the day, and that they looked “promising.” Barrett will be day-to-day with the injury.

Still, this injury meant the starting lineup was shorthanded, and there were a few different ways Darko could have adjusted.

First, he could have gone big, subbing in Mamukelashvili or Collin Murray-Boyles for RJ Barrett, but with Barnes and Jakob Poeltl out there, that seems like a weird way to balance out the lineups. The other wya he could have done it was to go small ball — putting in Jamal Shead and starting the two-point-guard lineup that has been working out really well over the past few weeks.

Ultimately, he went with sliding Ja’Kobe Walter into the starting lineup, replacing Barrett with the guy who has been first off the bench in the past few weeks. Gradey Dick and Mamu ended up being the first players off the bench tonight.

One of the most impactful bench players for the Raptors has been Jamal Shead. His impact off the bench has been the x-factor for the Raptors in a lot of close situations. He is also leading in a few statistics when you look at the league-wide bench numbers. Before tonight’s game, he was leading the NBA in assists off the bench.

“We saw the potential last year, it’s been really cool to see it sprout,” Jamal Shead said after the game.

Fun fact: Jamal Shead is leading the NBA with 95 assists off the bench this season.

He has a 4.75 assist to turnover ratio, second-best among all players!

— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) November 24, 2025

His assist-to-turnover ratio is also great, not just up there among bench players, but all NBA players. Going into tonight’s game, his 4.8 assist-to-turnover ratio was No. 8 league-wide.

“Jamal is just solid,” said Darko Rajakovic before the game. “He has improved in taking care of the ball, touching the paint, playmaking, and defensive diversity.”

“He’s committed to his role,” Darko said.

Shead ended the game with 9 points, 7 assists, and was +14 in his minutes on the floor. Darko even decided to end with him on the court, running that lineup with him and Quickley.

Raptors were down 50-44 when Shead subbed in and Raptors went double PG at 3:22 left in the 2nd Q.

Raptors end the half up 57-54 after a 13-2 run. They inject so much energy and speed. https://t.co/BgKPFWfzbZ

— Zulfi Sheikh (@zulfi_sheikh) November 25, 2025

Mamu was also fantastic off the bench tonight, scoring 5-8 from the field and was +7 on the court in his minutes. He’s been fantastic, able to score in the paint but also stretch the floor, and assist his teammates. He’s really a perfect player for Darko’s .5 offensive system, someone who can score on multiple levels but also can assist, and will rebound the ball as well.

Overall, though, the key to this game was Brandon Ingram. He was just cooking from the midrange today, and pretty impossible to stop from the elbows. He scored his Raptors record-high 37 points tonight, helping the Raptors in moments of dry spells from a lot of their other options.

He added onto that stat line with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and shot 15-30 from the field and 5-11 from three. These performances from him are just what the Raptors

“I told the team he played great defensively as well,” said Darko Rajakovic about Ingram’s performance tonight. Ingram is known for his offence, and has not really had the defensive prowess as part of his overall game. It was something he specifically mentioned as an improvement he wanted to work on this season, and it’s paying off. He’s rebounding, being active on the defensive end, and got one steal as well. He’s also been sharing the ball a lot, a reflection of Rajakovic’s system.

Mixing Ingram’s star power with that of Scottie’s produces, as we are learning, incredible results. Specifically in late-game situations. Barnes has always been a guy who loves performing in the fourth quarter, and he’s stayed true to that in his 5th season. Mix that with a guy like Ingram, who does better the more he sees his shot go down, and feeds off of his own confidence and the energy in the room, and you get these fun and energetic endings to games.

“The best part of being [in Toronto] is that our coach brings the energy every single day,” says Ingram, joking that Darko “runs into the locker room yelling” every day, bringing that vocal energy and encouragement to everything he does.

Darko specifically mentioned feeling like the team is ahead of schedule when it comes to chemistry and communication. He continued on to say that this is from the character of the players they have in the locker room, and everyone is accepted for who they are.

“You got a lot of unselfish guys,” Shead said, “it’s about winning.”

“I don’t think Darko would let that come into our locker room,” Ingram says after being asked if anyone has been celebrating the winning streak. He said that not one person has mentioned the winning streak. They are not letting their egos take over, focusing on the process, and making sure they do not let up on effort.

The Raptors are now 13-5 on their season, holding their spot in the 2nd place spot in the Eastern Conference. This game also solidifies that they win the season series over Cleveland. Unless these two teams play each other in the NBA Cup knockout rounds or consolation regular-season games, that was the last game they will play against one another this season.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-a...raptors-cleveland-cavaliers-win-ingram-barnes

 

[Toronto Raptors]

The Rap-Up: Rounding into form

When the schedule was released, all eyes focused on the first 20 games. At first glance, it looked….difficult. Again.

Last season, the Raptors had a rough schedule to start the season and ended the first 20 games with only 5 wins. The season prior — Darko Rajakovic’s first with the team — Toronto managed to gut out 9 wins in the first 20.

If the Raptors were going to move past the rebuild phase, something positive had to come out of the first quarter of the season. I remember scanning through the opponents and penciling in 4 victories (Nets x 2; Wizards; and 1 of 2 against the Hornets). With every other game, you could make a case for the opponent coming out on top. Cleveland (x 3) was, and still is one of two favourites to emerge from the East. Atlanta (x 2) was the preseason darkhorse pick, along with Orlando, to crash party. While questions swirled around Philadelphia (x 2), Milwaukee (x 2), and Indiana (x 2), you could also still make the case that each of those teams would still have the best player (and coach) on the floor against Toronto.

The Raptors are currently 7-2 against those East rivals with a chance to finish 9-2 this week.

Toronto’s starters are clicking with Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley all capable of dropping 20 points on any given night. The defense is flying, now up to #6 in the NBA. Darko’s rotation is crystalizing with Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick, and Sandro Mamukelashvili bridging the gap for Ingram/Barnes + bench units. The schedule is manageable. Toronto only has 4 road games in December (5 if you count Las Vegas!), with 3 of those games against teams they’ve already defeated (Milwaukee, Brooklyn, and Washington).

The Raptors finished the previous two seasons with 14 wins combined over the first 20 games. This season, Toronto is inching towards getting 14 wins at least through the first quarter of the season. Vibes couldn’t be higher in the Six!

If there was a how-to guide to success for an underdog team, the Raptors have completed the first step: surprise everyone with a fast start. The next step would be to take down the big dogs. This week, Toronto takes on the two biggest dogs in the Eastern Conference yard: Cleveland, who they’ve defeated twice already this season, and New York. To successfully pass these tests, the Raptors will have to be at their collective best!

This team pic.twitter.com/2ACFNar2zU

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 24, 2025

November 24 vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Darius Garland is back. Or is he? The All-Star guard returned to the lineup in Friday’s NBA Cup win over the Indiana Pacers. Garland 13 of the previous 16 games for Cleveland, including both matchups with Toronto. When he briefly returned from his toe injury in early November, he was kept out of the second game of a back-to-back. With Cleveland’s sights on a deep playoff run, it wouldn’t surprise me if Garland missed this game since the Cavaliers will be playing the night before.

When these teams last faced each other, Barnes was the best player on the floor. Period. He produced one of the best games of his career with a stat line of 28 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 blocks. It was the first game in Raptors history where a player amassed at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks. If you lower that threshold to 20 points, the only two instances were achieved by Barnes. What a special player!

In that same game, Jarrett Allen returned after missing the first game against Toronto. He, along with Evan Mobley, looked very pedestrian as they combined for 13 points on 5-for-13 shooting. Donovan Mitchell also returned to the lineup after missing the first matchup with the Raptors. His 31 points led the Cavs, but missing 11 of his 18 field goal attempts and turning the ball over 7 times only further aided in Toronto’s 126-113 victory.

Fun fact that may only interest me

The longest win streak either of these teams have had against each other was 10. From 1999 to 2002, Toronto reeled off a double-digit win streak against Cleveland, which included series sweeps in the ‘99-’00 and ‘00-’01 seasons.

Let’s frame that differently. When Toronto last completed a season series sweep against Cleveland — April 4, 2001 — the following Raptors were not born yet:

• Jamison Battle
• Scottie Barnes
• Alijah Martin
• Jamal Shead
• Chucky Hepburn
• Gradey Dick
• Ja’Kobe Walter
• Collin Murray-Boyles

Prediction

Both teams roll into this one on the backend of a back-to-back. Toronto will have the advantage since they wouldn’t have to worry about traveling. Cleveland will be coming off a home game against the struggling/hopeless Los Angeles Clippers. For the Raptors, the motivation is crystal clear: can they sweep the season series against an Eastern Conference favourite?

I originally had Cleveland winning and covering this game but have changed my mind for three reasons. The Cavaliers, again, are dealing with a plethora of injuries (Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Sam Merrill, Lonzo Ball, and Craig Porter Jr. missed Sunday’s game). Toronto’s offense will look much crisper with Jakob Poeltl back in the lineup. If RJ Barrett misses time after spraining his knee during Sunday’s game, the Raptors’ defense will likely improve with Jamal Shead or Ja’Kobe Walter stepping into a starter role (and likely covering Donovan Mitchell). Toronto completes the season series sweep and cover the +2.5 spread.

November 26 vs Indiana Pacers

Two seasons ago, the Indiana Pacers were the inaugural Eastern Conference champions of the NBA Cup.

Last season, the Pacers were the Eastern Conference champions. Period.

This season, so far, Indiana is 2-14, have dealt with a cornucopia of injuries to key players, and currently have the 29th-ranked offense. Raptors fans have recently seen the offenses of Washington, Brooklyn, and Memphis…..Indiana’s is statistically worse than all of them! Oh how quickly things can change in the NBA.

Bennedict Mathurin returned to the lineup last week and help the team double its win total (to 2) with a home win over the Hornets. Pascal Siakam is averaging a career-high 24.8 points per game. Jay Huff is filling the void left behind by Myles Turner, as he currently sits 3rd in the NBA in blocks per game.

These are all nice stories in what’s looking like a lost season. The Pacers’ horrendous start likely answers the one question Indiana had after Tyrese Haliburton: do they go full tank mode this season and return in 2026 with an MVP candidate and a can’t-miss prospect from a loaded draft? With all signs pointing to YES, the next question is when does Indiana start bubble-wrapping Siakam, Mathurin, and Andrew Nembhard?

Bennedict Mathurin isn't known as a passer, but he's assisting his teammates as a cutter

I wrote about how he's reshaping the defense as part of the offense, & not just bending the defense separate from the offense

No Paywall: https://t.co/ncuUgqbfRR pic.twitter.com/oUNy9Mp761

— Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) November 22, 2025

Fun fact that may only interest me

This past July, Jay Huff was traded from Memphis to Indiana for a pair of future 2nd-round picks. Last season, Huff broke through with the Grizzlies after a couple of years transferring in and out of the G League with the Lakers, Wizards, and Nuggets’ organizations. He had his two-way contract converted with Memphis and proved his worth amidst an injury-riddled Grizzlies roster. The trade must have been rough news for Huff, but you could see the reasoning from Memphis’ side. With Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, and Santi Aldama on the team, playing time would be at a minimum this season.

Huff is certainly having the first (last?) laugh as he continues making his mark in the league.

Memphis’ top two in total blocks — Jackson Jr. (19) and Aldama (12) — have combined for 31 blocks over 32 combined games.

Huff currently has 32 blocks in his 16 games.

Prediction

The Pacers are winless on the road, having lost all 9 of its games away from home. This will be the final NBA Cup round robin game for the Raptors, while Indiana has one more against Washington. Toronto has already clinched first place in Group A but a home game in the quarterfinals is not guaranteed yet. To host a game in the knockout stage, the Raptors will need to have one of the top 2 records in the East. Assuming Milwaukee and one of Detroit/Orlando finish with perfect records in their respective groups, point differential will come into play.

• Toronto: +53 with 1 game to play
• Detroit: +27 with a road game in Boston and home game against Orlando
• Orlando: +20 with road games in Philadelphia and Detroit
• Milwaukee: +16 with road games in Miami and New York to play

Toronto is in the driver’s seat to host a knockout stage game but first need to do what they’ve been doing for the last two weeks: take care of business! The Raptors beat the Pacers and cover the -8.5 spread.

November 29 @ Charlotte Hornets

For all the hype that’s justifiably being thrown at Charlotte and its promising group of rookies, the spotlight was shifting away from the Hornets’ All-Star point guard, LaMelo Ball. Not anymore.

According to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, “LaMelo Ball has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade away from the franchise.”

Well, that puts a damper on things. Many franchises know the death knell that comes when the face of the team wants out. Whether it’s Toronto and Vince Carter, Miami and Jimmy Butler, or any franchise that rostered James Harden, the strain it puts on the front office to either appease or trade the star is an unenviable task.

For what it’s worth, the team has been competitive, despite the noise off-court. Charlotte had 4th-quarter leads in the final two minutes against Milwaukee, Toronto, and Atlanta. While each of those games ended in losses, the team’s inspired play should be promising news to a Hornets fan base that hasn’t seen a playoff game since 2016.

Fun fact that may only interest me

Whenever I’m digging through stats, I’ll occasionally come across some numbers that are good, but not great. Oftentimes, the difference between ‘good’ and ‘great’ stats is one number/line/game that throws off the numbers. Kudos to NBACentral for highlighting Kon Knueppel’s solid play of late while also adding an asterisk that many people — stats geeks and NBA teams alike — will likely add in their own analyses.

Kon Knueppel over his last 6 games:

28 PTS – 6 REB – 7 3PM
26 PTS – 1 REB – 6 3PM
28 PTS – 8 REB – 7 AST
24 PTS – 7 REB – 3 STL
*********It’s OKC********
32 PTS – 3 REB – 3 AST

(Via @realapp ) pic.twitter.com/LI0RUoT8yH

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 24, 2025

Prediction

The Raptors benefit from not having a Black Friday game because combined with the entire NBA having American Thanksgiving off and the Hornets hosting the Bulls the night before, Toronto enters this game with a rest advantage of 2 days. This game follows the same guiding principle as the previous game against Indiana: take care of business.

Toronto has done an excellent job in making game-to-game adjustments. Heading into this week’s games, the Raptors have won by 28 against Milwaukee, 12 against Atlanta, 13 against Cleveland, and 9 against Philadelphia…..each in the second time facing them. The Raptors should do the same to a Hornets squad that’s a little off-kilter. Toronto beats Charlotte and covers the -7.5 spread.

November 30 @ New York Knicks

With all due respect to the Detroit Pistons, the path to the NBA Finals for Eastern Conference teams is through Cleveland and New York. The Raptors have already opened a lot of eyes by winning (sweeping?) the season series with the Cavaliers. The barometer of success now shifts to Madison Square Garden.

Mike Brown has taken over Tom Thibodeau’s position as Head Coach and, unsurprisingly, the Knicks have looked different this year. The offense, though, looks similar under Brown. New York is still a top-5 offense that limits turnovers, crashes the offensive glass with success, and is led by the dynamic duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

The concern is on the defensive end. Brown is in his 11th season as a Head Coach in the NBA. In the previous 10 seasons, his teams have only generated a top-10 defense in two of those campaigns (both headlined by LeBron James in Cleveland). The Knicks have dropped from 12th to 18th in points allowed per possession and are allowing the 5th-worst eFG% in the league.

With Thibodeau out of the picture, minutes distribution has unsurprisingly leveled out. Last season, each of the starters averaged at least 35 minutes per game. Under Brown, only Mikal Bridges (35.3) reaches that threshold. With a deep playoff run expected from this team, it’s no surprise that playing time is being distributed across the roster.

The only players so far this season with A or A+ grades among 2024-25 players in each of our 3PT Shooting, Midrange, Finishing, and Playmaking Talent metrics:

Shai-Gilgeous Alexander
Jalen Brunson
Tyrese Maxey
Austin Reaves pic.twitter.com/Sr2tOVVkEc

— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) November 22, 2025

Fun fact that may only interest me

Let’s play my favourite game: Guess That Team!

Team A: Offensive Rating of 123.0 (1st in the NBA), Defensive Rating of 106.4 (2nd), and Net Rating of 16.7 (1st)

Team B: Offensive Rating of 112.8 (23rd in the NBA), Defensive Rating of 120.9 (27th), and Net Rating of -8.0 (25th)

Team A is the New York Knicks with OG Anunoby in the lineup. Team B is the New York Knicks without Anunoby in the lineup.

Prediction

While Toronto had a significant rest advantage against Charlotte, they will have to flight to New York and play a rested Knicks squad who don’t play on Saturday. This, my friends, is called a scheduled loss.

Don’t get me a wrong. The Raptors are playing like the basketball version of the Toronto Blue Jays, with the power of friendship aiding the team’s hot streak in November. It would not surprise me if Toronto found a way to beat their Atlantic Division rival that’s missing its best defensive player.

But I’ll hedge my bets and predict that New York wins and covers the -4.5 spread.

Last week: 2-2

Season record: 12-5

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-analysis/48646/the-rap-up-rounding-into-form

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Preview: Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Fresh off their 7th straight win, the Toronto Raptors will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back at home. Cleveland is in the same situation, having hosted the Clippers on Sunday but has the disadvantage of travelling afterwards. Toronto will take that and whatever edge they can to close out the sweep against the Cavaliers. Despite the fact that they’ve already beaten Cleveland twice, the Cavs won’t go away without a fight.

Cleveland currently sits 3rd in the East behind Toronto with a record of 12-6. They perform well against teams they should beat, like Memphis, Washington, and Indiana, but have already lost to New York, Boston, Houston, and Toronto, struggling to measure up to other top teams.

Donovan Mitchell is having another all-NBA calibre year, averaging 30-5-5 on 50% shooting from the field. As always, he will be the first point of attack that Toronto will have to stifle. Absent from their first meeting, he answered with a 31-point performance two weeks later. He struggled shooting from long range in that game, but found plenty of opportunities to get to the line. Toronto will have to find a way to limit his scoring without fouling him and letting him get points with the clock stopped.

The pair of bigs in Mobley and Allen are also a tough matchup, averaging 16 rebounds per game combined. They offer rim protection and defence that pose problems for opposing offences and Toronto will have to navigate around on drives.

The key to both of Toronto’s wins this season have been great 3-point shooting and dominance on the boards. The Raptors shot 43% and 39% from long range in the first two games respectively, with Barrett and Battle shining in the first matchup and Quickley, Mamu, and Gradey carrying in the second.

Their strategy should be the same here. Paint points can be hard to come by against the Cavaliers, who rank 9th in the league for points allowed in the painted area. Toronto’s offence usually relies heavily on this, scoring almost half of their points there, but have found other ways to get ahead when needed.

Another thing the Raptors can look to do in this matchup is limit turnovers. Coughing up the ball 16 times in their first meeting and 13 times in their second is well above their average for the season, and they should look to lower that to limit extra possessions for the Cavs.

Jakob Poeltl will return to the lineup after load management who can help match Cleveland’s size, and Mamu has been a welcome sight as a backup big. RJ’s absence will be felt as he went down with a knee injury last night, but with six players in double figures in their last outing, Toronto’s ball movement will allow them to share the wealth and find whoever is open to score.

Where to Watch

Tune in at 7:00pm ET to catch the action!

Probable Starters

Toronto: Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram, Collin Murray-Boyles

Cleveland: Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, De’Andre Hunter, Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill

Injury Report

Due to their late game last night, neither team has reported injuries as of yet. Most of the recent absences from games have been rest or day to day injuries, but we can be sure of at least two:

Toronto: RJ Barrett (Out: Knee)

Cleveland: Max Strus (Out: Foot)

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-game-previews/48662/preview-toronto-vs-cleveland

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Preview: Toronto Raptors vs. Charlotte Hornets

Trying to mount the fourth-longest win streak in franchise history, the Toronto Raptors will travel to North Carolina to take on the Charlotte Hornets. Toronto has a rest advantage entering this matchup, sitting the last two days after going undefeated in NBA Cup Tournament play. Charlotte, on the other hand, toughed out a gruelling game against Chicago last night earning their first win in their last eight games.

Since their last meeting, a mere twelve days ago, Charlotte has fallen to 5-14 on the season, dropping games to teams like Atlanta and Indiana in the process. They’ve been struggling to find an identity, and despite strong performances from LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and their excellent rookie selections in Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner, it hasn’t translated into many wins. Now, Brandon Miller has returned from injury, scoring 18 and 27 in his first two games back. This is a welcome infusion of offence for the Hornets, and so far they’re 1-1 since he’s been back.

It’s still unclear who Toronto will have to plan for tonight, with Charlotte waiting to release their injury report. Having just played last night this isn’t uncommon, and they’ve had a track record this year of finding opportunities to rest their stars, especially when they’re not expecting to win. If that’s the case again tonight, Toronto might see more of their bench, with Sexton, Diabate, and Mann being their next biggest contributors this season. It’s not an automatic win in either case, as the undermanned Hornets were able to rout the Bucks a couple weeks ago without Ball or Miller.

RJ continues to be sidelined the hero of Toronto’s last game against the Hornets, but with a next-man-up mentality, they’re still 2-0 since his knee injury against Brooklyn. Although, the one thing they are missing is his 3-point shooting where he sits at a solid 36% this season.

In Toronto’s last two outings, they struggled from beyond the arc. In Cleveland they shot 28% on 36 attempts, and then followed that up with only 19% on 26 attempts against Indiana, leading to their worst offensive performance of the season so far, finishing with only 97 points. Hopefully this is just a small bump in the road, as long range shots account for almost 30% of their total scoring. If they struggle again tonight, it could be another close game against the Hornets.

Unlike previous years, close games haven’t been as worrying for Raptors fans though as Brandon Ingram has continued to be a hero for Toronto this year. In the clutch, he leads the Raps in points per game and minutes played, proving to be a reliable option in those tight situations. If Charlotte is able to hang around tonight, Toronto will undoubtably look to Ingram to help create a winning play.

Where to Watch​

Tune in at 6 pm ET on TSN to catch the game.

Probable Starters​

Toronto: Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Jakob Poeltl, Collin Murray-Boyles, Immanuel Quickley

Charlotte: Kon Knueppel, LaMelo Ball, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges

Injury Report​

Toronto: RJ Barrett (Out: Right knee sprain), Chucky Hepburn (Out: G-League), A.J. Lawson (Out: G-League), Alijah Martin (Out: G-League), Jonathan Mogbo (Out: G-League)

Charlotte: Josh Green (Out: Shoulder), Grant Williams (Out: Knee) for sure, the rest TBD.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/48717/preview-toronto-raptors-vs-charlotte-hornets

 

[Toronto Raptors]

What made the Raptors’ win streak snap in Charlotte?

Coming back from a massive deficit, the Charlotte Hornets got the better of the Toronto Raptors after an overtime victory on Saturday night. Despite a 30 point double-double from Scottie Barnes and 10 assists from Immanuel Quickley, some sloppy defence in the fourth quarter and the sheer force of Miles Bridges’ 35 points were enough to keep the Raptors at bay.

With the Raps winning the tip-off, Immanuel Quickley set the tone of the game with a three-point play. Toronto opened the first quarter 7-0, and seemed able to score at will. The Raptors moved the ball well, able to both score in the paint and on the perimeter, getting the ball to the open man, with Brandon Ingram going on a tear. Colin Murray Boyles brought hustle off the bench, setting up an interior presence, fighting for boards and loose balls, showcasing real grit. Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel was able to find some good opportunities from long range, and Charlotte was able to go on a 7-0 run before Toronto regained control over the game by the end.

Scottie scored well in the interior off the fast break while being guarded by Bridges, as the Raptors continued to maintain a comfortable lead of around ten points. The bench was showcasing their skills, with Boyles continuing to show off his passing and maintaining an interior presence, while Sandro Mamukelashvili got some nice buckets. By the end of the second, the Hornets had begun digging their way out of the lead the Raptors had created, with many thanks to Colin Sexton’s scoring off the bench, as the Hornets brought the game to within six, 58-52 Raptors. LaMelo Ball, Hornets star, sat out much of the first half. leaving the direction of the game up to his teammates

Ball would announced his presence with a bucket to start off the third. The Raptors showed off their unselfishness in a passing clinic ending with a Ja’Kobe Walter 3, bringing the score 67-56 Raptors. Off of some Brandon Miller free throws, the lead was cut to 3, and after another layup from Miller, cut to one, before Quickley got the Raps some breathing room with a three pointer. Ingram had been putting on a show all night from the midrange, proving yet again why his acquisition was more than worth the pieces the Raptors sent to NOLA. Having someone who’s shifty, and who can score at will when necessary, is still worth so much in the modern game. As the third came to a close, the Raptors picked up the scoring pace, and with a minute left on the clock, were up 7 points, keeping the Hornets from scoring.

As he did at the beginning of the contest, Quickley opened the fourth stanza of the game with a three pointer, bringing the Raptors lead back to double digits. Scottie Barnes remained an interior force, scoring with jump hooks and layups to keep his team ahead. With a little more than six minutes left in the half, Mamushaveli dropped in a right handed finish to extend the lead past 10 points, continuing this war of attrition over the double digit lead. As the clock wound down to four minutes, Miles Bridge continued to fight to keep Charlotte in the game, hitting twenty three points as he finished through contact. With three minutes left, the Raptors maintained a their five point lead, cut to two on a three from Colin Sexton, capping off a 10-0 run for the Hornets. An Immanuel Quickley floater was not counted, keeping the Raptors lead at two as the seconds ticked down. With a minute left, a Sion James bucket tied the game at 100 a piece.

As the fourth quarter ground to a close, a Miles Bridges’ free throw brought the game to within one point, before an intentional foul on Scottie Barnes brought the score to 104-101 with 12 seconds remaining. With Brandon Ingram in front of him, hands by his side, rookie Kon Knueppel let a three fly to tie the game once more. Ingram couldn’t get a final midrange shot to go, bringing the game to overtime.

Scottie started off the last period with a left handed lay, before Bridges dug into his bag and baited for a foul to extend the lead even further, 112-108. With the lead lost, Toronto would not see it again, as Charlotte dropped in point after point, never allowing Toronto the chance to regain their position. With that, Toronto’s hot streak was broken, sending the team limping north to the Big Apple to face off against the New York Knicks on Sunday.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-n...iles-bridges-scottie-barnes-immanuel-quickley

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors lose second in a row to Knicks in preview of NBA Cup

The New York Knicks had an emphatic win against their Atlantic Division opponents on Sunday night, as the Toronto Raptors, down two starters, got an uncomfortable first meeting against their NBA Cup opponents. The Knicks rode the momentum of unstoppable scoring in the first quarter to a victory against the Raps, who despite a strong comeback, were never able to equalize or get ahead of their opponents.

The Knicks began the game by feasting on the perimeter. Miles McBride hit four-threes in the opening quarter. Raptors defence looked a little loose while the Knicks suffocated Toronto. Ingram’s shot wasn’t falling, and as Karl Anthony-Towns muscled his way into the paint through the Raptors double, things looked awkward for the Raps. Off of a time-out, Jamal Shead came into the game, and immediately made his presence known with a drive for two. The Raptors had a great possession, showcasing great ball movement and offensive rebounding with Colin Murray-Boyles taking great care of the ball. Nevertheless, the Knicks’ offence was absolutely overwhelming, shooting at will, and making contested threes as easily as they would open layups. The final Raptors possession of the quarter was punctuated by a CMB slam off a Jamal Shead assist, a small consolation for the Raptors who limped into the second quarter down 19.

CMB did the same thing to start off the second quarter, jamming it home with authority, despite the Knicks’ continued scoring downpour. A trifecta of threes from Scottie Barnes brought the lead to within 15 points, as the big forward dropped in buckets from long range to keep Toronto in the game. Toronto found its footing as CMB pulled in boards, and Immanuel Quickley dropped in buckets from range, bringing the difference to 10 points. Off a Sandro Mamukelashvili free throw, the lead was finally brought down to single digits as the Knicks cooled off and Toronto heated up. CMB continued to be a force in the interior, drawing in rebounds like a black hole, and would finish the game with 8. Toronto and New York played tug-of-war over the lead’s single or double digit status. On Toronto’s last possession, Immanuel Quickley bounce pass to an open Scottie Barnes gave him a two-handed jam to send the Raptors into the half down only seven, an early rout prevented.

Ingram started off the third with a nice layup, as the Knicks started to go to Towns in the painted area, bullying his way to points, with New York no longer as successful from three. Like his teammate in the last quarter, Immanuel Quickley dropped in three threes in quick succession. Finally, off an Ochai Agbaji tip-in, the Knicks lead was cut to a single possession for the first time in many minutes, 67-70. Little by little, the Knicks clawed their way back to a comfortable lead, as a pair of Josh Hart threes sealed the deal, bringing the score to 80-68, Knicks. The boys from Villanova continued to carve out a larger lead, as Hart and Mikal Bridges played a duet on the court, bringing in buckets with ease. Hart would finish the game with a double double of 20 points and 12 rebounds. With less than a minute left, CMB continued to earn his minutes, dropping in two twos in quick succession for his tenth point of the outing. The Raptors would be down 16 heading into the fourth quarter.

A missed lob from Scottie Barnes followed by a Jordan Clarkson dunk was an ugly way to begin the game’s final period, as Brandon Ingram’s three point shooting kept the New York lead from staying at 20 points for long. Ingram led the team in turnovers, with only 14 points, less than five minutes remaining in the contest. The Raptors continued their impotence, unable to get their offence going as the Knicks fought their way back to a twenty point lead. Raptors pulled their starters for garbage time, the gains of the second quarter unrealized. Neither team scored much towards the end, as the game played itself out, the outcome realized long before, a 116-94 victory for the Knicks. New York has set the tone of the season series, which will be duked out again on the 9th of December as a part of the NBA Cup.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-s...s-lose-to-knicks-scottie-barnes-josh-hart-cmb

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Will the Raptors prioritize momentum or chess match in NBA Cup preview?

The Toronto Raptors conclude the second night of a back-to-back in a fun matchup against the New York Knicks on Sunday.

While their mini two-game road trip got off to a disappointing start with a 118-111 overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, everyone will quickly move on if the Raptors can bounce back in this NBA Cup quarterfinal sneak peek.

Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST on TSN.

This is a uniquely fun situation, primarily because this will be the first meeting between the Raptors and the Knicks this season. With their single-game elimination NBA Cup game slated for Dec. 9, it’ll be fascinating to see how each team approaches the contest.

Both the Raptors and Knicks are likely to do whatever it takes to win, especially in a convoluted Eastern Conference. However, there’s an undeniable amount of strategic common sense for both coaching staffs to hold certain wrinkles back or keep specific counters in reserve.

Outside of the looming NBA Cup narrative, here are three more storylines to consider.

The Brandon Ingram​

Scottie Barnes may be the most dynamic player on the roster, but Brandon Ingram holds the key to how far this year’s team can go. It begins and ends with what Ingram can do on the offensive end. Ingram is “gameplan-proof”. But when he goes cold as he did in the second half against the Hornets, it puts the Raptors in a precarious position.

Things get murkier when Ingram is attempting close to 30 shots in those games. Ingram is averaging 25.3 shots in the last three games. Before that, he was averaging 15.4 shots per contest. The increase coincides with RJ Barrett’s knee injury. Ingram averaged 17.6 attempts while with the New Orleans Pelicans, with his largest volume (18.6) coming during the 2022-23 season.

The shooting slump in Charlotte may end up being a blip on the radar, but while Barrett remains out, it’s vital that Ingram either maintains his efficiency or avoids doing too much to make up for when he’s having an off-night.

We’re close to seeing a mix somewhere on social media of Ingram getting stripped from his blindside near the free-throw line.

Start spreading the news​

The Knicks sit just one game back of the Raptors and it’s primarily because they’ve bookended the month of November with stellar play. After beginning the month as winners of five straight games, the Knicks have their eyes set on concluding November with four consecutive victories.

Jalen Brunson is averaging 32.3 points in their last three victories, which includes a 129-101 win over the Hornets on Nov. 26. The usual suspects like Karl Anthony-Towns and Mikal Bridges deserve the Raptors’ attention on defence, but it’s Josh Hart and Miles McBridge that may surprise fans who haven’t been paying attention to the Knicks.

Hart is averaging a near triple-double over the last three games, with 16 points, 11.6 rebounds, and seven assists. He’s also chipping in 2.6 steals per game during this stretch. McBride is averaging 19 points on 10-of-12 shooting from three over the last two games.

The Knicks are a deep and dynamic bunch right now, and that’s without OG Anunoby.

Stranger Things Happen on Defence in the Clutch​

While fully understanding that it was a single-game sample size, it’s worth pointing out that the Hornets targeted Immanuel Quickley during the late stages of their win. The Hornets attacked Quickley twice in the final two minutes of regulation, but it got worse in overtime.

Charlotte hunted Quickley on the first three possessions of the extra frame. Even with Barnes pre-switching to get in the pick-and-roll on the second possession of overtime, the Hornets ditched their top-of-the-arc action and went straight to where Quickley was.

When the Raptors deployed their typically successful duo of Quickley and Jamal Shead, the Hornets countered by involving both of them in screening actions. The Hornets may just be a poor matchup for the Raptors in these situations because they have strong non-big post-up options like Collin Sexton and Miles Bridges.

It’ll be fun to watch how the Raptors solve this puzzle over the course of the season, especially as teams find innovative ways to keep Barnes away from the action.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-g...ze-momentum-or-chess-match-in-nba-cup-preview

 

[Toronto Raptors]

The Rap-Up: Managing adversity and expectations

Welcome to the second quarter of the season!

Blowing the lead in Charlotte on Saturday, then getting blown out in New York on Sunday should not change your opinion on how the Raptors performed over the first 21 games. By winning 2 of every 3 games and getting the 14th victory two months (or 27 games) earlier than last year, Toronto’s season has been an overwhelming success so far.

In winning nine games in a row, and sweeping the season series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Raptors put the Eastern Conference on notice that they plan on playing games past April.

Now that they’ve exceeded expectations, the Raptors face a new challenge as they embark on the second quarter of the season: managing those expectations. Toronto has done a great job of taking care of business. Whether it’s defeating lottery-bound teams like Washington, Brooklyn, and Indiana, they’ve also capitalized on injury-depleted teams like Cleveland, Atlanta, and Philadelphia.

Toronto can no longer catch teams by surprise. With 4 hungry opponents coming to town, will the Raptors be able to get back to their winning ways?

Now this…is a work of art pic.twitter.com/0MgPvsp4VY

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 30, 2025

December 2 vs. Portland Trailblazers

As far as the first quarter of the season goes, there may not be any team that’s shocked more fans than the Portland Trailblazers. With all due respect to the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, and even these Toronto Raptors, not a single team in the NBA can hold a light to Portland’s biggest accomplishment so far: the Trailblazers are the only team to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder!

In fact, Portland has also defeated the Warriors (twice), Lakers, and Nuggets already this year. Giant slayers, indeed!

The Trailblazers entered the season with low expectations of making any noise in the West, despite having a very loud offseason. It started with drafting Cedric Coward (a Rookie of the Year candidate) to Memphis for a future first, two future seconds, and a pick they used on Hansen Yang (to many people’s surprise). Shortly after, Portland bought out DeAndre Ayton’s contract, who would then sign with the Lakers. Portland continued to turn heads, this time by trading Anfernee Simons’ expiring contract for 3 seasons of Jrue Holiday. Finally, the Blazers found themselves on the other side of a contract buyout and bringing back Damian Lillard after Milwaukee cut him loose.

After losing its season opener at home to Minnesota, the Blazers found themselves leading the news again. Head Coach, Chauncey Billups was arrested for allegedly taking part in illegal poker operations. In a time when everything old is new again, I still blown away that the term “Jailblazers” has somehow returned.

Fun fact that may only interest me

Two seasons ago, there were only 4 players that averaged at least 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.

• Nikola Jokic
• Luka Doncic
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• LeBron James

Last season, there were only 4 players that averaged at least 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.

• Nikola Jokic
• Luka Doncic
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Jayson Tatum

This season, there are only 4 players that average at least 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.

• Nikola Jokic
• Luka Doncic
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Deni Avdija

Deni Avdija tonight became the second player in NBA history to score 30+ PTS in each of his first four career triple-doubles.

31 PTS
19 REB
10 AST pic.twitter.com/dllErbbfZN

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) December 1, 2025

Prediction

Another reason for Portland’s success — as far as 8-12 records go — is Jerami Grant. For the first time since he was with the Thunder in 2018, Grant is no longer a starter. Donovan Clingan has taken over Ayton’s vacancy at Center. Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, and Avdija have all remained starters. So, Grant was bumped to make room for Holiday. Jerami has responded with renewed energy and purpose. He leads all reserves in scoring with 19.1 points per game and is one of the early favourites to claim the Sixth Man of the Year award.

While Portland has an impressive resume of victories this season, they’ve come down to Earth lately. The Blazers have lost 7 of its last 9 games and own the 4th-worst offense over the last two weeks. This game in Toronto is the first of a five-game road trip — already Portland’s second road trip of five games! The Raptors get back on the winning track and cover the -6.5 spread.

December 4 vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Before the season started, I was a guest on a Lakers podcast, Lakers Fast Break, to preview the Toronto Raptors. To wrap up the show, and to appease the Lakers-heavy audience, the host, Gerald Glassford asked for my thoughts on the Lakers. With LeBron James missing the beginning of the season, I said the Lakers shouldn’t worry too much if they start slow, because all that matters is that LeBron, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves are healthy for a playoff run and a top-3 seed.

After 19 games, I was surprisingly correct about the ranking — Los Angeles is 15-4 and currently 2nd to OKC. However, there was no slow start because, surprise, the Lakers still have Luka!

Doncic leads the league in scoring with 35.1 points per game, ranks 4th in assists with 9.2 per game, and edges out DeAndre Ayton (8.7-8.6) and leads the team in rebounds. The Robin to Luka’s Batman has NOT been LeBron, but Austin Reaves!

Reaves is 9th in points (28.8), 12th in assists (6.8), and 8th in true shooting percentage (68.1%). Austin is one of only two guards in the top 10 in true shooting percentage — a category typically dominated by bigs — with the other guard, AJ Green, owning a usage percent (13%) more than half the amount of Reaves’ (28.5%).

I’m struggling to think of a better duo in the NBA than Luka and Austin. Possibly because a better duo doesn’t exist. Add in LeBron freaking James, who is still spry, regardless of age or wear and tear, and you can easily see why Lakers fans are in good spirits.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 6 of the 2025-26 season (Nov. 24-30). pic.twitter.com/HMc4gWmWbR

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 1, 2025

Fun fact that may only interest me

For the majority of this column’s existence, LeBron James has been a Laker, which means the Raptors only face him twice a year. I’m not going to scan through 7 years of my archive but it’s probably fair to assume that whenever the Raptors faces the Lakers, this section is occupied by an incredulous LeBron stat.

Today is slightly different, as James’ scoring records have been trending lately.

Cooper Flagg recently surpassed LeBron as they youngest player in NBA history to score 35 points in a game. That seemed like a record that could stand the test of time since high-school-to-NBA leaps were banned.

Giannis Antetokounmpo recently scored his 21,000th point. He then boldly predicted that he could break LeBron’s all-time scoring record in “four, five years.” Maybe the comma was a mistake and he meant “four-five years” because scoring 21,251 more points over the next five seasons means Giannis would have to score 51.7 points per game (while also playing all 82 games in each of the seasons).

Prediction

This is a bad matchup for Toronto. Nobody gets to the free throw line more than the Lakers. Luka (1st) and Austin (3rd) make more free throws per game than anyone in the league. The Raptors, while they’ve toned down their defensive ball pressure of late, are still a bottom-10 team in foul calls. Scottie Barnes may be on his way to his first All-Defense selection, but even he won’t have an answer for Luka. Meanwhile, Reaves will have his way with Immanuel Quickley or RJ Barrett. Lakers win and cover the +2.5 spread.

December 5 vs Charlotte Hornets

The second game of a back-to-back, as well as the final game of a three-games-in-four-nights stretch is typically the most difficult. It certainly doesn’t help that the Raptors have to face the pesky Hornets.

Before the draft lottery, I was hoping, obviously, for Toronto to land Cooper Flagg. Assuming that wasn’t going to happen — the Raptors only win draft lotteries when the draft class sucks — my second wish was to move up and snag Kon Knueppel. At first, it was the thought of having a Dick-Knueppel duo that would break the internet. But as I learned more about each of the prospects, Knueppel really stood out as the future Klay Thompson that Gradey Dick was promised.

This is the third time these teams are playing each other in under three weeks. It’s basically a playoff series. As with any playoff matchup, you get comfortable with the opponents’ players and lineups. One thing I’ve learned is that Moussa Diabate gives my Reggie Evans vibes. I love him.

One thing I have not learned, only solidified what I already believed: I dislike Miles Bridges.

Fun fact that may only interest me

Charlotte and Toronto have always played each other tough. While the Hornets owned the the matchup in the first decade of the Raptors’ existence, it’s been mostly Toronto for the last decade. Charlotte has won the season series once over the last ten seasons against the Raptors…….the championship season, when Jeremy Lamb the Hornets took 2 of 3 from Toronto.

#whoremembers pic.twitter.com/9gpvVKtpNE

— RapsShowYo (@RapsShowYo) November 30, 2025

Prediction

For the second consecutive game, the Raptors are at a rest disadvantage. RJ Barrett may or may not be back. Since returning from his back injury, Jakob Poeltl has sat out one of the games in each of Toronto’s 3 back-to-backs. It’s probably safe to assume Jak will play the Lakers and sit against the Hornets.

Toronto should have taken care of business in Charlotte last Saturday. They won’t make that mistake again. The Raptors win and cover the -5.5 spread.

December 7 vs Boston Celtics

The Celtics are annoying.

Granted, that’s a statement Raptors fans could probably state every time Boston comes to town. But this year’s Celtics a different kind of annoying.

When Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon during last season’s playoffs — followed by the salary-clearing trades of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday — the message seemed pretty clear from Boston’s front office: sit this season out and come back stronger in 2026-27.

However — there always seems to be a ‘however’ when the Celtics are the topic of discussion — Boston still has a Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown, an All-Defense guard, Derrick White, one of the best coaches in the league, Joe Mazzulla (top-4 in Coach of the Year voting, twice), and the greatest (ahem, only) Portuguese player of all time, Neemias Queta.

They’ve essentially defeated the teams they were supposed to (Wizards, Pelicans, Nets, Grizzlies, Clippers), while maintaining the same identity of launching triples (leading the league in non-corner threes frequency for a third consecutive season).

Fun fact that may only interest me

This is a Raptors-Celtics game, but this section is dedicated to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The preseason favourite to sit atop the East alongside New York has been hit with injuries and currently a pedestrian (for them) 12-9.

Five of Cleveland’s nine losses have come at the hands of the Raptors and Celtics. Cleveland’s worst margins of defeats:

• Loss by 20 to Boston
• Loss by 13 to Toronto
• Loss by 11 to Toronto
• Loss by 11 to Toronto (another one)

Prediction

When the calendar flipped from 2021 to 2022, the Trailblazers moved Anfernee Simons into the starting lineup. He had only started 8 of the first 184 games of his career. From then on, Simons started 205 consecutive games he played in. That streak came to an end when he slipped on a Celtics uniform. The 7-year veteran has come off the bench for each of the 20 games he’s played for Boston……and has performed admirably! His minutes, usage, and overall numbers have generally decreased, but he’s making more out of his time on the floor. Simons’ three-point and field goal percentages are above his career averages, while his Win Shares per 48 are also a career-best. He has essentially replaced Peyton Pritchard (who has replaced Holiday in the starting lineup) as the annoying Celtics guard to come off the bench.

The Boston reserve who will not annoy the Scotiabank Arena crowd is Chris Boucher. Slimm Duck will make his regular season return to Toronto. Unfortunately for viewers at home, this game is not being broadcast on TSN, which means fans will not hear Jack Armstrong scream, “Booonnnnjooouuuuuuuurrrrr!!”

Covering the Raps, I've gotten to watch/tell some of the most remarkable success stories in sports but none were more unlikely than Chris Boucher's. He wrote about his incredible journey in great detail for @PlayersTribune & it's definitely worth your time https://t.co/IBEEZRMfTB

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) October 10, 2025

A team with Boston’s offensive profile should give Toronto fits. The Celtics win and cover the +2.5 spread.

Last week: 2-2

Season record: 14-7

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-a...s-december-1-7-blazers-lakers-hornets-celtics