RSS Raptors Team Notes

[Toronto Raptors]

Barnes nears triple-double, Shead sparks bench in win vs. Cavaliers

When the Toronto Raptors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on Halloween, the team’s fiercest doubters highlighted how the absence of key rotational players poisoned the result.

With several of those contributors returning for the Cavaliers, the Raptors were ready to prove that they should be taken more seriously in the Eastern Conference.

The Raptors may have finally gotten everyone’s attention after defeating the Cavaliers 126-113 on Thursday.

In addition to Toronto improving to 7-5 , winning six of its last seven games, and being two games above. 500 for the first time since 2022, here are key takeaways from the matchup in a quarter-by-quarter recap:

Q1: The 2025-26 Raptors don’t panic​

The first quarter was nearly void of rhythm for the Raptors. Whether it was the turnovers (five) or the fouls (seven), the Raptors looked discombobulated for most of the opening frame.

RJ Barrett picked up his second foul less than four minutes into the contest, which forced Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic to look to his bench earlier than he wanted. Rajakovic went to Gradey Dick first, but on the ensuing possession, Donovan Mitchell attacked the third-year wing to draw the foul. Seconds later, Rajakovic swapped out Dick with Ja’Kobe Walter. On the next trip down, Mitchell hunted Walter and drew another foul.

After missing the first game against the Raptors on Halloween, Cavaliers centre Jarrett Allen didn’t waste time making his presence felt. Allen finished the first 12 minutes with four points, two rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block. The centre was averaging 13.5 points and 9.3 rebounds in 24 career games against Toronto.

It wasn’t until the closing minutes of the first quarter that the Raptors finally found their groove. A lineup featuring Brandon Ingram flanked by a bench group of Dick, Jamal Shead, Jamison Battle and Sandro Mamukelashvili, went on a 12-3 run to bring the Raptors within one point at the intermission.

Q2: Mob mentality​

The average Raptors fan’s inevitable reflex to anoint a semi-productive bench group as the next “Bench Mob” can be tiresome. But this year’s bench does flash enough times to draw intrigue. They have a similar collection of compelling traits that the original bench mob had, even if this iteration feels more like an island of misfit toys.

It begins with Shead and Mamukelashvili. The latter had 11 points on perfect shooting by halftime. It was the fourth consecutive game that Mamukelashvili finished in double-digit scoring, extending a season-high for the new Raptor. The dynamic artillery he brings off the bench is a tremendous boost to the offence, particularly against teams with intimidating length dare the Raptors to beat them from outside. Toronto responded by finishing the half with nine threes on 56 per cent shooting.

Shead is playing some of the best basketball in his young career. The Houston-product finished the game with eight points and seven assists. He has also started to earn more trust from the coaching staff and Rajakovic has subsequently gone to lineups spearheaded by both Shead and Immanuel Quickley. The backcourt combination has also helped unlock another gear for Quickley, who excelled in a catch-and-shoot role with the New York Knicks. There was one sequence late in the second that showcased their potential as a tandem, when Shead sprinted out in transition and fired a skip pass over to Quickley, who then calmly knocked down a wing three. Shead and Quickley were +15 in the four-and-a-half minutes they played together in the half.

Q3: Playing the percentages​

Even with Barrett getting whistled for an early third foul to begin the second half, the Raptors extended their lead to 71-54 and forced the Cavaliers to call a quick timeout at the 10:38 mark.

Cleveland responded with a 7-0 run and set the stage for a burst of energetic and inspiring play from Scottie Barnes. Realizing his team was in a slump, Barnes displayed some of his maturity and awareness when he attacked Evan Mobley to draw a foul. On the following inbound, Barnes found Quickley for two points. Moments later, Barnes looked like he was shot out of a cannon when he corralled a rebound and raced down the court. The former All-Star tossed a no-look pass to Jakob Poeltl for an easy two points.

The Cavaliers finally went to a zone and begged the Raptors to beat them from deep. While Toronto entered the contest as the ninth-best three-point shooting team (37.8 per cent), Cleveland banked on the fact that it was primarily due to a small sample size. The Raptors struggled on back-to-back possessions against the moving 1-2-2 zone. After a timeout to regroup, Barnes operated out of the post and found Walter for a dump-off dunk. Toronto would later go back to Barnes in the high post in the fourth to help counter the zone.

Unfortunately for the Raptors, their shooting tendencies caught up to them. Dick hit the Raptors’ first and only three-pointer late in the quarter. Toronto finished 1-for-10 from beyond the arc in the third.

Q4: The next level​

The best player on the court was Barnes, who ultimately finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and five blocks. He was spectacular against the Cavaliers, particularly as a “grab-and-go” type of initiator after securing defensive stops. The versatile forward also exhibited notable synergy with Poeltl in the half-court and in transition.

Barnes played with a contagious energy that fans haven’t consistently seen since his rookie year. It certainly popped on screen.

“Now he’s got ownership of this team,” said Jack Armstrong during the TSN broadcast. “You can see the growth and enthusiasm he has playing with these guys.”

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-a...double-shead-sparks-bench-in-win-vs-cavaliers

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Game preview: Toronto Raptors vs. Indiana Pacers

The Toronto Raptors conclude their five-game Eastern Conference road trip with a matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST on TSN.

After the Raptors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-113 on Nov. 13 to improve to 7-5, they improved to two games above .500 for the first time since 2022. Through the first 12 games of the 2024-25 season, the Raptors were 2-10 and had lost five in a row.

The vibes around the Raptors are certainly high, but the jubilation that comes with surprise victories often expire when it’s followed up with letdown games against inferior teams.

With Toronto only one game back of second place in the east, here are three more storylines to pay attention to during the game.

The Pacers’ downward spiral​

With their exciting 2025 playoff run in the rearview mirror, the Pacers practically find themselves in the NBA equivalent of the upside-down. Indiana is 1-10 and has lost their last six contests, with its most recent defeat being a 35-point pummelling at the hands of the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 13. The Pacers haven’t dropped seven consecutive games since the 2022-23 season.

The Pacers have a chance to pull off a watered-down version of what happened to the San Antonio Spurs in 1996-97. During that time, the Spurs followed up a 59-win season and deep playoff run with an injury-plagued campaign that ultimately led to winning the Tim Duncan sweepstakes.

In addition to the massive void left by Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers are also missing Obi Toppin, Cody Martin and Canadian Ben Mathurin. Guard Quenton Jackson looked like he was on the verge of playing a significant role before suffering a hamstring injury, which has kept him sidelined since Nov. 3.

Canadian guard Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell finally returned and are continuing to get back into a rhythm, but Aaron Nesmith injured his knee in the game against the Suns. Nesmith had started all 11 games this season and was averaging 15.5 points in 30.5 minutes per game.

Pascal Siakam is doing all that he can to keep the Pacers competitive and it has required him to play 34.9 minutes a contest. This marks the most he’s played per game as a Pacer and his highest average since his 2021-22 season with the Raptors. With an unproven supporting cast, Siakam is also dealing with the lowest field-goal percentage (44.6 per cent) of his career.

The ‘M” word​

As narratively gripping as the Raptors’ starting lineup may be this year, the bench consists of the most fascinating collection of players the organization has had since the original bench mob. While this group isn’t as dynamic or wasn’t homegrown through the Raptors 905 developmental system, there’s a fun intensity that somehow awkwardly works.

Through 12 games, the group of Jamal Shead, Collin Murray-Boyles, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and the carousel of Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, Ochai Agbaji and Jamison Battle are third in net rating among bench units. They trail only the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets. The bench mob that Raptors fans look back fondly on was an offensive juggernaut that played with pace but wasn’t efficient on the defensive end. Whether it’s due to being thrown into the fire or having an arguably less developed skill set, this year’s group is more balanced and is defined by their reliable floor rather than an unlimited ceiling.

Even though it seems like Indiana is on pace to be in the running for the number one pick in next year’s draft, each of the Raptors’ bench pieces needs to be ready for a competitive game. Struggling teams often try to play fast to increase variance and the Pacers have adopted that mantra. The Pacers rank 11th in pace and 10th in total possessions. By comparison, the Raptors are 14th in pace and 16th in possessions, despite how strong their transition game looks on screen.

The interlude​

Regarding pace, it occasionally feels like Brandon Ingram is still trying to figure out how to best fit within this year’s offence. Ingram is the Raptors’ best “off-script” creator. It’s a trait that balloons in value during the playoffs, but it doesn’t necessarily match how the team has been urged to play in the last two seasons.

The Raptors’ offensive numbers look great across the board. Their offensive rating (11th), points per game (10th), field-goal percentage (8th), and three-point percentage (9th) have all improved in comparison to the past few years. Ingram is a big reason for that, primarily because his mere presence on the court creates lanes and space for his teammates.

But there’s plenty of room for improvement. Ingram recently admitted he didn’t have his legs or explosiveness back yet. This could be why Ingram is still searching for his stroke from three. He’s currently shooting 26.4 per cent from the perimeter, which is on pace for a career low.

Despite this, Ingram deserves leeway and patience. He’s already six games from matching his total appearances from last year. Before his Raptors debut, he last suited up for a regular-season game with the Pelicans on Dec. 7 in 2024.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-analysis/48531/game-preview-toronto-raptors-vs-indiana-pacers

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Preview: Toronto Raptors vs. Charlotte Hornets

After overcoming the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night, the Toronto Raptors completed their fourth victory in their ongoing win streak. Now, sitting as the four seed in the East at 8-5, they will host the twelfth-seeded Charlotte Hornets, hoping to remain in the winners’ column. This will be the first of three matchups in a three week span, with Toronto hosting the first and third, and travelling for the middle game. Seeing them so closely in succession could create a good opportunity for the Raps to continue to improve their record.

Last season, Toronto took 2 of the 3 matchups and 3 of the 4 the season before, boding well for them as they head into tonight.

It might not be as easy as Charlotte’s 4-9 record suggests though, as a lot of their losses came at the hands of tough teams like OKC, Minnesota, Philly, and LA. Led by LaMelo Ball who is averaging 22-7-10 and Miles Bridges with 22-7-4, the team is full of young guys who are still carving out their niche in the NBA. Rookies Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner have both already started 12 of the team’s 13 games this year. Averaging 17-6-3 and 10-7 respectively, both have received recognition as some of the best in this rookie class. Kon’s scoring has been his biggest asset, but he’s shown a high IQ and adaptability as well. Ryan’s defence and FG% have been his greatest strengths. Sexton, Diabate, and Mann, have all contributed as well. Brandon Miller, Josh Green, and Grant Williams’ absences are felt, as Charlotte’s bench is now arguably one of the weakest in the NBA.

Toronto on the other hand is really starting to gain momentum after a rough start to the season. Scottie is expected to have another big game as he continues to impress, now averaging 20-8-5. Ingram’s midrange game can be relied on, which will be invaluable against the rim protection of Kalkbrenner on the floor. Poeltl’s health continues to improve as well, adding another asset into the lineup, once again, making the bench longer.

This will be key for Toronto, as winning the bench minutes could be a difference maker in this game. While they’re undersized in comparison to Charlotte, especially at the guard position, their defensive pressure and ball movement will be crucial for them to get the advantage.

Another necessity will be control of the boards. Toronto sits in the bottom third of the league in rebounding, compared to Charlotte who sits 10th. The presence of a seven footer helps in that area, as does their youth, but limiting those second chance opportunities is something that has been make or break, especially in games Toronto has lost this season.

Where to Watch​

Tune into Sportsnet at 7:30pm ET for all the action!

Starting Lineups​

Toronto: Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl

Charlotte: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Lamelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Kon Knueppel, Sion James

Injury Report​

Toronto: Ochai Agbaji (Questionable – Lumbar strain), Jamison Battle (Questionable – Right knee contusion), Chucky Hepburn (Out – G-League), Alijah Martin (Out – G-League)

Charlotte: Josh Green (Out – Left shoulder), Liam McNeeley (Out – Illness), Brandon Miller (Out – Left shoulder subluxation), Tidjane Salaun (Out – G-League), Grant Williams (Out – Right knee surgery)

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-game-previews/48540/preview-toronto-raptors-vs-charlotte-hornets

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Are the winning Toronto Raptors here to stay?

The Toronto Raptors are 8-1 in their last 9 games, and tonight’s win against Charlotte is their fourth in a row, tying their previous four-game streak from earlier in the season. It feels like they’ve won more in the last few weeks than they have in the past few years. So, is this real or just a phase?

The team had new walk-up songs for each player as they announced the starting lineup, the WE THE NORTH giant flag was once again passed through the crowd in the lower bowl, and usually stoic Darko Rajakovic was all smiles pre-game when they panned to him for the coach’s announcement. Plus, with the Raptors’ gorgeous purple city edition court back, it seemed like the vibes were up for a Monday night contest against the Charlotte Hornets.

Vibes were indeed up when they won 110-108. Trap game or not, the Raptors pulled off an impressive and important win against an East Coast team.

Are the Raptors’ winning ways sustainable?

Scottie Barnes is putting it all together​

Barnes has been on a hot streak lately, doing all of the things he was projected to do when he was drafted No. 4 overall back in 2021. Most recently, he broke a franchise record of longest streak of games with at least one steal and one block – doing it 10 times consecutively. He also recently tied for third place for youngest Toronto Raptors to reach 5,000 career points.

Barnes is currently averaging 19.7 points, just .2 away from his 19.9 points in 2024 that led to his first All-Star Game appearance. He’s also at a career high 50.3% field goal percentage, 1.8 blocks per game, and 1.5 steals per game.

IN GOOD COMPANY pic.twitter.com/eZDYB4YxHF

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 18, 2025

If he keeps this up, he has a great case for another All-Star Game appearance, and also an All-Defense nod at the end of the season.

This is the kind of stuff people have been begging Barnes for, especially in the past few seasons. He definitely stepped it up that ASG year, but the team did not do well that season — a reason he wasn’t given the nod initially and then picked as an injury replacement. Last season, his off-court leadership definitely thrived, but again, the on-court result from the team didn’t match up.

Now, all the stars could be aligning. He could be playing this well AND be doing it on a winning basketball team.

Having a scoring leader like Ingram​

Truly, one of the biggest differences of the season is having Ingram on offence. Another guy that can give you 20+ a night, overloads defences, and spaces out the floor for others to operate.

He’s leading the Raptors in points per game with 20.4 per contest, which has had a huge impact on their ability to win games. His 49.3% field goal percentage is his best since he played for the Los Angeles Lakers, beating any of the time he spent in New Orleans. He’s also averaging his highest rebounds per game (6.0) since his first season with the Pelicans.

While his defensive stats aren’t much to get too hype about, that’s not really his role here — it’s Scottie’s. He does what he can when it comes to defensive rebounding, staying active, and contributing to the team defensive schemes, but he’s never going to be a player that racks up blocks and steals like Barnes is, and that’s okay. That block he made at the end of the game was enough for Raptors fans to be satiated for a long time.

It’s his size, his high release point, and efficiency that make him the exact guy the Raptors wanted to acquire at the deadline last season. So far, he’s performing up to those hopes.

Having a real bench helps​

The Toronto Raptors bench, led by players like Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jamal Shead, has been giving this team a boost in recent contests. As of Monday night, they rank No. 2 in the NBA in net rating, at +3.9, only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Mamu is avergaing nearly 10 points off the bench, shooting 44.8% on three-point shots, leading all players on the team who make 2+ attempts per game.

There’s even been talk among fans of trying to switch around lineups so more of these bench players can start, and play more minutes. While it does not really feel like that is the direction the Raptors will go in, knowing there are those options to go to if the play decreases later in the season is nice.

The Raptors bench also ranks No. 6 in the league in 3-point percentage at 40%, and No. 8 in the league in field goal percentage at 47.4%. This is all despite ranking 20th in the league in total bench minutes.

Is all of this sustainable?​

It could be. The Raptors have not had the easiest schedule to start the NBA season, and already have a few upset wins under their belts. They also have a decent chance of advancing in the NBA Cup tournament this year, and a shot at winning the tournament if they keep up what they are doing.

Now at 9-5 on the season, and the first time they have been this high above the .500 level in record since the 2022 season, they have the good start they need to form good habits.

After this brief stint at home, they will now head back out on the road to play Philadelphia before coming home for a four-game homestand. Their Friday night game is an NBA Cup game.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-analysis/48560/toronto-raptors-charlotte-hornets-nba-barnes-ingram

 

[Toronto Raptors]

The Rap-Up: Time for some good ol’ home cooking

What a difference a year makes!

When the schedule was first released, the first 20 games looked eerily similar to last season. The Raptors would have a very difficult first quarter of the season, followed by a very easy slate of games after the All-Star break. Last year, Toronto only won 5 of its first 20 games, kickstarting the rebuild/tank and harkening back to the Chris Bosh days when the team was constantly in the lottery.

This year has been markedly different. Toronto is on target to double that win total within the first 20 games and, with how well the team is playing lately (#4 offense, #3 defense over the last two weeks), dare I say, triple that win total!

Pardon the optimism. To get here, the Raptors have defeated a playoff mainstay in the Milwaukee Bucks, the preseason darling in the Atlanta Hawks (twice), and one of the favourites to finish atop the East in the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice). All 4 victories over Atlanta and Cleveland, mind you, have been on the road!

The Toronto Raptors have played 9 of its first 13 games on the road and have played the smallest number of home games in the NBA. With 5 of its next 6 games in the friendly confines of Scotiabank Arena, can the Raptors keep the good times rolling and continue marching up the Eastern Conference standings?

GET THAT GAAAABAGE OUTTA HERE pic.twitter.com/b0LVIMhoW0

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 16, 2025

November 17 vs. Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets roll into town with a 4-9 record, losers of 5 of its last 6 games, and a road record of 1-5. Yet, the team’s future looks very bright, thanks to their 2025 draft class.

Kon Knueppel leads all rookies with 17.2 points per game. He’s also drained more three-pointers than any rookie by a country mile. Knueppel has already knocked down 41 threes, which is 16 more (or 48% more) than the next highest rookie, Tre Johnson. Kon’s uber-efficient shooting splits, 45.6/40.2/87.5, are only bested by one other rookie……teammate, Sion James.

James, the 33rd overall pick, is shooting 48.6% from the field, 48.8 from three, and 84.2 from the charity stripe. With LaMelo Ball missing some time earlier this season, James leapfrogged Tre Mann into the starting lineup and is logging more minutes than Collin Sexton. During last week’s overtime loss to Milwaukee, James logged almost 42 minutes, accumulated 5 steals, and was part of the closing lineup. Not bad for a second-round pick fighting for minutes with Mann, Sexton, and Pat Connaughton.

Charlotte’s last draft pick may be the best of the bunch. Ryan Kalkbrenner leads all rookies with 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. In fact, Kalkbrenner is 2nd in the NBA in blocks, which is essentially #1 among humans since the alien in San Antonio is averaging 43% more blocks per game. He also leads the NBA, not just rookies, in FG% and eFG% with 82% shooting for both!

The Hornets knocked all 3 draft picks out of the park. On a team with LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Brandon Miller, Charlotte still has time to make some noise in the East this season…….or tank its way to a premium pick in a loaded draft class. Either way, the future couldn’t be brighter in Charlotte.

Kon Knueppel had the entire Hornets team over to his house for a meal before they played the Bucks

Amazing impact one dude can have on the trajectory of a franchise pic.twitter.com/faAwVx5QVJ

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) November 15, 2025

Fun fact that may only interest me

In the 1996 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks used the 53rd overall pick on Jeff Nordgaard. He was never able to crack the roster and ultimately played in only 1 NBA season. He finished his short NBA career playing in 13 games, 48 minutes, and scoring 18 points total.

His nephew, Kon Knueppel, just played in his 13th NBA game. Last week, Knueppel played over 41 minutes and scored 32 points in an overtime loss against……the Milwaukee Bucks.

Prediction

Charlotte’s four victories are as follows: home win over the Nets, road victory over the Wizards, home win over the Jazz, home win over the Bucks (without Giannis Antetokounmpo). I’m not sure what the opposite of a “murderer’s row” is, but it probably looks something like that.

The Hornets have a bottom-10 offense and defense over the last two weeks. Josh Green, Grant Williams, and Brandon Miller are all out with injuries. They have the worst three-point defense (opponents shoot 41%) and have the second-worst halfcourt defense in points allowed per play. With “only” Ochai Agbaji and Jamison Battle listed as questionable, a healthy Raptors squad should be able to continue its positive play of late. Toronto defeats Charlotte and covers the -8.5 spread.

November 19 @ Philadelphia 76ers

Regardless of how the new All-Star format looks, it’s crystal clear, at the moment, that two All-Star starters will be in this game, Tyrese Maxey and Scottie Barnes.

Maxey is one of four players in the top-1o in both points and assists, along with Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves(!?!). He’s the only player in the top-5 in both three-point field goals and free throws made per game. Tyrese plays more minutes than anyone in the NBA, a full 3 minutes more on average! While Philadelphia’s injury situation will certainly be constant flux with Joel Embiid and Paul George on the roster, Maxey has unquestionably taken over as the team’s leader and almost single-handedly kept this team in contention.

Maxey’s backcourt mate, VJ Edgecombe, is another bright spot from an overachieving draft class. Edgecombe leads all rookies with 37.3 minutes and 4.2 assists per game. If you add up points, rebounds, and assist averages, VJ is tied with Cooper Flagg for second-most, just 0.4 behind Knueppel.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey was at the National Dog Show yesterday! The show will air at noon on Thanksgiving! pic.twitter.com/gJpAkfHUsG

— Ryan Mack (@Ryan_mack18) November 16, 2025

Fun fact that may only interest me

All 8 of Toronto’s wins have been by double-digits. Only Oklahoma City and Denver (9 each) have more such victories.

Philadelphia is tied with Atlanta for the most clutch wins (games decided by 5 points or less).

Both of these teams are exceeding expectations and currently sitting in way-too-early playoff positions. Ironically, when these teams faced each other two weeks ago, neither scenario played out as the Sixers won by double-digits.

Prediction

The Sixers will be playing the first game of a back-to-back, and the second of 3-games-in-4-nights stretch. Nick Nurse will surely rest Joel Embiid and Paul George. You would think he’d save Embiid for the second game against Giannis and the Bucks, while also keeping Embiid away from Toronto’s quick pace. But we also know Nurse would relish in seeing his big man torment his old team.

Philadelphia has come back to earth since getting off to the 5-1 start to the season. In losing 4 of its last 6 games, the Sixers have been a bottom-10 offense.

28, 12, and 13. Those are the margins of victories for the Raptors against Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Cleveland, respectively, the second time they faced each other. So far this season, Darko Rajakovic has been making the right adjustments, in-game and between games. Toronto covers the +5.5 spread.

November 21 vs. Washington Wizards

The third game of the NBA Cup round robin stage gives us a first look at Toronto’s bright red court.

First look at the Toronto Raptors NBA Cup home court pic.twitter.com/jkw2kb5bvN

— Jay Rosales (@Rosalesaurus) October 24, 2025

Not to be confused with Washington’s bright red court.

Here is the Wizards' NBA Cup court pic.twitter.com/RLEschC23T

— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) November 13, 2024

Don’t get me started on Houston or Denver.

The Washington Wizards have a 1-6 record on the road, which means they’re played better(?) on the road since they’re 0-6 at home! They are the worst team in the NBA, which says a lot considering the “competition.” Washington’s last game may have been rock bottom. With a relatively healthy roster (top 11 in minutes played per game were all in uniform), the Wizards lost by 23 points…….at home…..to the Brooklyn Nets.

Fun fact that may only interest me

Are you familiar with Mario Mendoza? The last name might be a hint. Mendoza was a Major League Baseball shortstop who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers from 1974 to 1982. He was not a good hitter. His batting average was often very low and among the league’s worst, year after year. Coaches and players teased him by coining the team “The Mendoza Line” — having a batting average of .200 — to illustrate his offensive futility.

Here’s an example of the term being used in today’s context: Brian Keefe, is in his third season as head coach of the Washington Wizards. With only 27 wins over his 107 games coached, Keefe is approaching the Mendoza Line with a .201 winning percentage.

Prediction

Washington has the #28 offense, #29 defense, #30 transition defense, and turns the ball over more than any other team. The Raptors may score 40 points from the fastbreak alone! Washington’s starting 5 includes Alex Sarr, who’s younger than any Raptor not named Collin, Bilal Coulibaly, who can’t even average double-digits in points, and Khris Middleton, who is 34 going on 54.

CJ McCollum is still capable of getting hot, as seen in his 42-point performance against Detroit last week. Kyshawn George is coming off a 29 point, 6 rebound, and 5 assist game against Brooklyn.

There just isn’t enough substance from Washington to threaten the streaking Raptors (unless the bright red court messes up Toronto’s gameplay). Toronto routs the Wizards and cover the -13.5 spread.

November 23 vs. Brooklyn Nets

Congratulations, Brooklyn, on getting your second win of the season! You have now defeated the Pacers and Wizards — the only other teams with 1 victory each!

Jokes aside, the Nets have been competitive over the last week. Including the game against Toronto, where they outscored the Raptors in the first quarter and played harder in the fourth quarter, Brooklyn also led the Magic in the final 2 minutes of their NBA Cup round robin game. The Nets may have lost, but the team appears to be finding its bright spots.

Michael Porter Jr. had a season-high 34 points in the victory over the Wizards. Tyrese Martin chipped in with 20 off the bench and was a game-high +26. Against Orlando, Ziaire Williams had 15 points and 3 steals, almost single-handedly outscoring the Magic’s reserves (18 points).

Most importantly to the franchise, Brooklyn has less than $80 million committed to MPJ, Nic Claxton, and Terance Mann, plus a slew of rookie contracts. They figure to be major players in next offseason’s free agency market, and will also likely have a high draft pick to boot.

Michael Porter Jr. is making a living off backdoor cuts and high-low passes off the Nets' off-ball actions.

Jordi Fernandez is doing a nice job leveraging MPJ's shooting gravity and size to create easy buckets. Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Shapre's passing ability is huge here, too. pic.twitter.com/tLFN9sTrZt

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 17, 2025

Fun fact that may only interest me

Brooklyn selected 5 players in the 2025 NBA Draft: Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf, and Adou Thiero.

Toronto selected 2 players in the 2025 NBA Draft: Collin Murray-Boyles and Alijah Martin.

Total Win Shares by Brooklyn’s rookies: -0.2

Total Win Shares by CMB (Martin has not played this season): 0.5

Prediction

When these teams faced last, the Raptors slept-walk to an easy win. Toronto clearly didn’t take Brooklyn seriously as they got off to a sluggish start. While the Raptors turned it on and cruised to victory, they also took their foot of the pedal, allowing the Nets to decrease the margin of victory to a respectable 10 points.

Remember that stat about Toronto performing better the second time they see an appointment? Imagine what that would look like against a team that will struggle to hit the Mendoza Line! Toronto routs Brooklyn and cover the -13.5 spread.

Last Week: 3-0

Season Record: 10-3

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-game-previews/48527/the-rap-up-time-for-some-good-ol-home-cooking

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Starting today, comments and Feed posts on Raptors HQ will have activity notifications

When you post on SB Nation, we don’t want you to miss all the conversations and responses that follow.

So starting today, whenever a user replies to your comment or to your post on the Feed, you’ll see a notification at the top right corner of the page.

And of course, this means that when you engage with other community members, they’ll get an alert too.

Our goal is to create more and better conversations on Raptors HQ and elsewhere across the SB Nation network. Anytime someone engages with your comments or Feed posts on another SB Nation community, you’ll see it in your notifications.

For instance, here’s what your notifications might look like on sbnation.com if you were getting replies across Arrowhead Pride, MMA Fighting, and sbnation.com. You will see the same expandable stack of notifications on any site in the network where you were logged in.

If you want to dig into more of how this will work across the network and what’s next, head over to this post on sbnation.com from SB Nation’s Head of Product Ed Clinton.

You can log in or sign up here. Logged in users get fewer ads along with the ability to join the conversation.

Jump into the comment section below or post on The Feed to see notifications in action.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/4...n-raptors-hq-will-have-activity-notifications

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Ranking which Raptors players would do best on Dancing with the Stars

If you, like me, have been locked in on Dancing with the Stars this season, you know ball. If you haven’t been in tune with one of the best reality television shows ever in its 20-year history, let me explain how it works. Celebrities are paired with professional ballroom dancers, and each week they rehearse a new ballroom or Latin dance to perform live on the show. They are then scored, and the couple with the lowest scores + viewer votes is eliminated each week. In the end, one couple wins the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy — which is, yes, a disco ball.

Athletes have a long history on the show, and basketball players, especially, have been fan favourites over the years. Mostly NBA players, but the WNBA’s Arike Ogunbowale was once a competitor as well. Usually, on the men’s side, NBA guys on the show are retired, since the DWTS season overlaps with the NBA season.

Maybe the most famous NBA player to ever be on the show was Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who participated in an athletes-only season. He and his partner, Lindsay Arnold, were eliminated during a double elimination, placing them in 7th/8th place that season. Iman Shumpert won his season with his partner Daniella Karagach, displaying a surprising amount of skill for an NBA player and creating several viral dance moments. Other NBA players who have graced the dance floor include Dwight Howard, Baron Davis, Lamar Odom, Metta World Peace, and Charles Oakley.

here's iman shumpert's final dance on dwts. absolutely incredible. instant icon. pic.twitter.com/ZCM6gR1jpC

— whitney medworth (@its_whitney) November 23, 2021

Now, here is a ranking of how I think a few of the current Toronto Raptors would do on Dancing with the Stars:

1. Scottie Barnes​

Scottie can move! He also seems like the kind of guy who wouldn’t be afraid to really bust a move on the dance floor. Based on Scottie’s love for the musical Hamilton, he would probably also get into the theatrics of the dances as well, and be able to emote and sell the dance moves. His goofy and loving personality would likely endear fans, and his competitive energy would push him to want to improve each week as well.

NBA players often struggle because their lankiness inhibits their ability to look fluid when they are dancing. This, and the height discrepancy that NBA guys often have with their dance partners, makes doing ballroom dances in frame a little harder. Those would probably be Scottie’s shortcomings, but if Iman can do as well as he did, maybe Scottie could too!

2. Garrett Temple​

Our dapper veteran, Garrett Temple, would THRIVE in the ballroom. We already know he loves fashion and can rock a tuxedo, so he would look great in the costumes. Temple also carries a grace and poise that would lend well to the ballroom styles where you’re in frame. He wouldn’t have trouble with elegant waltzes or intense tangos.

I feel like Garrett would also be really excited for his kids to see a different side of him! He’s such a family guy and would be a fun presence on the show. Fans would easily fall in love with his endearing personality.

3. Jamal Shead​

With Jamal Shead being on the smaller side, the height factor would not be as bad for him as it would be for other NBA players. That could help in the ballroom. Shead is another Raptor who has a very outgoing personality and may not be afraid to get down on the dance floor. He also has a ton of energy, meaning he would bring a lot of theatricality to his dances and have a lot of fun learning the different styles.

4. Immanuel Quickley​

When Immanuel Quickley makes a shot, his celebration sound is the “meep meep” of the Looney Tunes Road Runner. Obviously a nod to his name being Quickley, but he’s also a speedy guy! This could help him in dances like the quickstep and jive, which require a lot of bouncy energy. His fun personality matches that energy, and he would be fun to watch.

Retired NBA players often struggle with those kinds of dances, given the years and years of stress on their knees and ankles, so staying healthy is the key.

5. Gradey Dick​

Remember Gradey’s TikTok dancing era? That’s the kind of energy he could bring to the ballroom! Once lanky and slightly awkward rookie Gradey is becoming more solid and strong as he develops into a great NBA role player, but that love of dance could still translate onto Dancing with the Stars.

He’s another who I think would really commit to trying to learn each dance style and improve his scores each week. I could also see him doing well in the ballroom style dances, and even being a dark horse to get far in the competition with steady improvement and dedication.

What do you think? Which other Raptors do you think could have a shot on Dancing with the Stars?

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/48586/toronto-raptors-dancing-with-the-stars-rankings-nba

 

[Toronto Raptors]

The Raptors have played their best 10-game stretch since 2020

A lot has changed since February 2020.

In 2020, the Raptors’ entire championship roster was essentially intact, minus Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Now, there’s nobody left. In 2020, we had no clue there was a pandemic coming. Now, Zoom is just a part of our lives.

Tonight, however, the Raptors transported us back to 2020, accomplishing something that hadn’t been done for a half-decade: they got their ninth win in the last 10 games, staving off a near-comeback to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 121-112 at the Wells Fargo Center.

It was the Raptors’ fifth win in a row, giving them their best record in a 10-game span since February 2020, during their iconic title-defense season. (Notably, that 2019-20 team has the highest regular season winning percentage in franchise history.)

In Philadelphia Wednesday night, the team was propelled by a spread-out attack that saw six players score in double digits, and six players pick up four or more assists. They picked up 33 assists on 45 made shots!

The Raptors maintained a single-digit lead for much of the first half. But after pulling away with a monstrous, 44-26 third quarter, the Raptors let the Sixers come within three points thanks to a series of turnovers midway through the fourth.

But Immanuel Quickley didn’t let things go any further, earning him the chain. IQ was the main character in crunch time, scoring 11 in the fourth quarter and finishing with 18 points on 7/15 shooting, along with five rebounds, six assists and three steals. And he hit the dagger three that put the Raptors up seven with just over a minute left.

Other notable performances included the crisp interior passing between Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl. The duo’s chemistry has really popped as of late, and Barnes kept finding Poeltl on his cuts. Barnes finished with 16 points, nine boards and five assists; Poeltl scored 19 along with eight rebounds and four assists.

SCOTTIE JAK pic.twitter.com/EkNGYxukTJ

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 20, 2025

This game was also an extremely encouraging one for second-year player Ja’Kobe Walter, who finished with 11 points on 4/5 shooting and three steals, in addition to some high-motor defense.

Barnes was penetrating the defense and facilitating early on in the first quarter, leading to some nice looks like a Brandon Ingram corner three and, of course, an easy one for Poeltl off a no-look pass.

On the other end, the Raptors – who’ve struggled to defend high-level guards – had their hands full with the speedy Tyrese Maxey, who scored 12 in the first frame, and finished with 24 and nine assists.

Worth noting is that the Raptors ducked the oft-injured duo of Joel Embiid and Paul George, who had a rest day after making his season debut in the Sixers’ previous game. But the Sixers entered the game with a solid 8-5 record despite George having only played one game and Embiid six; their team is entering a new era led by young players like Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe, who put up 21 points. Philly also welcomed back second-year guard Jared McCain, who came off the bench and scored his first points of the season. The Raptors were without rookie Colin Murray-Boyles.

The Raptors held the Sixers at arms length for most of the second quarter, until a 9-0 run put the Sixers ahead 56-53 at the half. The run itself was discouraging, but the three-point deficit could have been much worse considering Toronto shot 2/15 on threes.

The Raptors started the second half with a bang, opening on a 10-2 run that included some more beautiful interior passing between Barnes and Poeltl. Gradey Dick came off the bench and played high-quality minutes, during which he made an excellent pass in the pick-and-roll to set up a Barnes touch pass to Poeltl for the bucket.

this whole sequence pic.twitter.com/vGrU8MpZCs

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 20, 2025

The Scottie-plus-bench lineup, with Sandro Mamukelashvili, Dick, Jamal Shead and Walter, forced a few turnovers toward the end of the quarter, pulling away to a 96-80 lead that was their largest of the game.

After a Quickley three to open the Raptors’ fourth quarter scoring, the Sixers chipped away at the Raptors’ lead, bringing it from 100-85 to 103-98, and eventually 109-106. The Raptors let the Sixers back in it with a handful of bad pass turnovers, as well as some second-chance opportunities. (Philly grabbed four offensive rebounds on one possession, which ended with two points for Jabari Walker.)

Finally, up 111-108 with about three minutes left, the Raptors put their foot down. And boy, did they execute.

Their ensuing possessions ended with: a Quickley three, a Barnes dunk off a mismatch with Maxey, turnover, another Quickley three, and then a Brandon Ingram pass to Barrett to seal the game (sound familiar?) with a dunk, making it 121-112.

Barnes turned the ball over six times, but also did an excellent job operating out of the post, taking advantage of mismatches where he could bully his way toward the paint. Ingram, who finished with 22 points and five assists, shot an efficient 7/10 from the field and, as per usual, was continuously making the right play while drawing two defenders. RJ Barrett scored 22 points as well, and registered four assists.

The Toronto Raptors are rolling right now. The starters are gelling, the bench is deep and the execution down the stretch in clutch games is there. Having a scorer like Brandon Ingram has changed so much for this team’s offense, as it allows other players to capitalize on the attention he commands.

Meanwhile, Poeltl has found great pick-and-roll chemistry with his teammates, and appears to be on another plane of existence with Barnes.

The Raptors are now second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 10-5, and are entering a five-game stretch that includes four consecutive home games, and four games against the worst teams in the conference. They have a chance to put themselves in a great spot early on in the 2025-26 season.

Things looked slightly shaky midway through the fourth quarter for Toronto, when their lead was suddenly cut to just three. But if they can execute the way they did during the clutch minutes of this game — that bodes well for their chances at sustaining this success.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-a...-played-their-best-10-game-stretch-since-2020

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Toronto Raptors could be the first team to clinch an NBA Cup QF spot

It’s been quite a week for the Toronto Raptors. They have won their last five games in a row, completed a pair of gritty, close wins, and are now second in the Eastern Conference. They only trail the Detroit Pistons, who are on an 11-game heater and sit three games above Toronto in the top spot. Wild to think just under two years ago, the Pistons snapped their 20+ game losing streak against the Raptors, and now these two teams are first and second in the conference.

Raptors & Pistons are both top-4 in the East for the first time since December 5, 2018.

— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) November 20, 2025

The Raptors are now 10-5 on their season, and if that wasn’t enough to excite you, they have a real shot at the NBA Cup for the first time. Since the beginning of the league’s in-season tournament, the Raptors have faded quickly from tournament contention. This year, though, things are different. Toronto is now 2-0 in the tournament and the last undefeated team in the East A Pool, having beaten Atlanta and Cleveland. These results indicate that the Raptors have a genuine chance of advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time.

While there are still two cup games for the Raptors to play — one Friday and one next Wednesday — the Raptors are in an ideal spot. They could clinch their quarterfinal berth as soon as Friday, and become the first team in the NBA to do so.

Between the Raptors and the quarterfinals are the 1-13 Washington Wizards and the 2-13 Indiana Pacers. According to the NBA, the Raptors clinch their spot in the knockout rounds with a win against Washington AND an Indiana loss. This scenario also eliminates the Pacers from Cup contention before they even play the Raptors next Wednesday.

The Emirates NBA Cup 2025 continues Friday with nine Group Play games.

The @Raptors have a chance to win their group and become the first team to clinch a spot in the Knockout Rounds.

Cup Night scenarios pic.twitter.com/RzwYQtMIM9

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 20, 2025

What comes next after the group stage? If the Raptors make it through as the best team in their group OR one of the top-2 second-place teams, they will play their QF on either Tuesday, December 9 or Wednesday, December 10. The semifinals will be held in Las Vegas on December 13, and the finals in Las Vegas on December 16. Every game in these rounds, except for the potential final championship game, will count towards the teams’ regular-season record. If they lose the QF, they will be matched with another losing QF team to make up the regular-season game that was not scheduled.

To make things even better this week for the Raptors, their five-game winning streak could be lengthened due to their schedule in the next few weeks. They play the Wizards (1-13), Brooklyn Nets (2-12), Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2 against Toronto), Pacers (2-13), and Charlotte Hornets (4-11) for their next five games.

After playing their best 10-game stretch since 2020 and the days of the championship defence, the Raptors have a chance to improve that record.

Some fun facts about the 10-5 Raptors:
– 7th in offence, 3rd in halfcourt offence
– lead the NBA with 21.7 fast break points
– won 9 of 10, 2nd in defence in the last 10
– lead the NBA in avg. speed on defence
– 6th in eFG%
– 1 of 4 teams to rank top-10 in TO rate & opp. TO rate

— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) November 20, 2025

It feels like a change of pace to be talking about the Raptors in a winning sense. It feels like a while since we’ve been here, even though it’s only been 4 years since the Raptors were truly contenders last. It’s still a little early to say they are fully contenders once again, but this is a fantastic start to the season. When you think about other NBA teams in rebuilds, it feels like their processes have taken much longer than the Raptors’ have.

It’s still early in the season, but the foundations of this team seem solid enough to sustain a winning record this year. Maybe even to win some extra hardware in the form of an NBA Cup.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-n...dings-knockout-pacers-wizards-cavaliers-hawks

 

[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