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[Toronto Raptors]

What an NBA Cup would mean for the Toronto Raptors

Coming off three losses in a row from the Raptors, victory is not exactly at the forefront of the minds of the Toronto faithful. The NBA Cup knockout game against New York could look very different, especially if RJ Barrett makes a comeback. What if the boys in red take it all the way and win the Cup? Let’s take a look at what victory in the In-Season Tournament could mean for this Raptors team.

Change from past champions?​

For the two previous winners, the Lakers and the Bucks, the NBA Cup had not made a significant impact on conversations surrounding either team. Granted, it didn’t help that both franchises were taken out in the first round of the playoffs in their winning years, but the relevance of the NBA Cup must be understood in the context of its past wins not generating more than momentary hype.

While taking home the NBA Cup gets your team’s name in the news, the lack of any added advantage for the regular season or the postseason has been detrimental to making players and fans alike really care about the winners of the Cup. However, despite the playoff woes of both teams, the Lakers and Bucks were both laden with superstars when they won, something that the Toronto Raptors are decidedly not. Rather than a veteran roster, the Raptors are young and scrappy this season, with a half-decade since winning a round in the playoffs. This means that a small victory means much more relatively, and could serve as a rallying point for a young team chasing a first taste of postseason success.

All about the money​

With youth comes (relatively) small salaries, and the financial incentive of the Cup could mean a lot for some players newer to the league, and on smaller contracts. While the Raptors’ starters are all on eight-figure deals, the bulk of the bench players are making between 5 million and 2 million. With the NBA Cup rewarding its winners with upwards of half a million dollars, and runners-up with more than $200,000, the cushion of cash right before the holidays is a meaningful incentive for players to leave everything out there on the court. Someone like Jamison Battle, on the salary of just under two million dollars, would receive a roughly 25% Christmas bonus, no chump change for a player on a smaller deal.

Indeed, before winning the In-Season Tournament, LeBron James dedicated his play to the younger Lakers, knowing what a difference that kind of money makes for someone not on a massive contract. With the team chemistry as good as it is this year, Scottie and Brandon Ingram giving it their all for their teammates not getting paid as much is a narrative I can see arising as the Raptors make it closer and closer to a taste of real victory.

The future of the NBA Cup, and the role the Raptors play​

The NBA is a living, changing organism that does things like introduce a tournament for money after decades of no such thing existing. I believe that the NBA Cup, in its infancy, little more than a chance for some fast cash, could become a cornerstone of the NBA season if given some postseason or draft lottery weight. The potential for the Cup is limitless, and if the Raptors were to be one of its early winners, the bonus to the franchise’s legacy could mean a lot for the next generation of Toronto basketball fans.

With the Raptors’ top four in the East, and the first post-rebuild postseason appearance looking more and more likely, winning an NBA Cup could be a great highlight of the 2025-26 season for the Raptors: a benchmark from which to look back upon as an early moment of this roster’s growing legacy.

Tune into the Toronto Raptors’ first NBA Cup QF appearance Tuesday night at 8:30pm ET

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/4...barnes-brandon-ingram-lebron-james-lakers-win

 

[Toronto Raptors]

NBA Cup Matchup Should Reveal Everything About the Toronto Raptors

Something about the Toronto Raptors is broken. That much is clear ahead of their NBA Cup quarterfinal debut against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on Sportsnet.

After winning 13 of 14 games, including a stretch of nine straight, the Raptors are currently in the middle of a maddening downward spiral. The schedulers haven’t been the nicest this holiday season, with the calendar steering the Raptors to play seven games in 11 days, but that doesn’t excuse the lapses on defence nor the tendency to play down to opponents.

But what’s splintered can be mended, and nothing could better cure the Raptors’ woes than a win against the Knicks in a pseudo-playoff environment.

Other than an opportunity to wipe the disappointment of the last two weeks with four clean quarters, here are three additional storylines to look out for in the historic matchup.

Cue the “White rabbit pointing at clock” meme​

This feels like an oversimplified type of assessment, but considering the scale of the matchup against the Knicks, the surrounding cast around Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram must show up – especially with RJ Barrett expected to miss additional time. Barnes has been electric this season and has secured his position as the team’s best player. And despite Ingram grappling with a cold slump that rivals Toronto’s most bitter winters, his presence still generates unreal levels of gravity.

With Jakob Poeltl clearly battling some kind of injury, Sandro Mamukelashvili needs to continue playing within himself. Immanuel Quickley must fight on defence as teams continue to hunt him in the half-court.

But the biggest spotlight remains on the trio of Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Ochai Agbaji. The latter had one of his best games of the season against the Boston Celtics but the Raptors are desperately searching for consistency to anchor them back to their previous winning ways. Dick and Walter’s poor play finally forced Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic to deploy the Raptors 905 players A.J. Lawson and Alijah Martin.

The fun part about this specific matchup with the Knicks is that it’ll become a valuable data point in the evaluation process. Is the team one or two trades away from making a deep-ish run in the Eastern Conference? Or are the Raptors built on a flawed structure, where the removal of one Jenga-type piece will cause it to topple?

Deep Waters​

In their last outing with the Knicks – a 116-94 loss at Madison Square Garden – the Raptors conceded 45 three-point attempts. After allowing the Celtics to jack up 47 shots on Dec. 7, the Raptors now give up the ninth-most deep-ball attempts per game at 37.6. Before this current stretch of dropping five of their last seven matchups, the Raptors had managed to minimize their opponents’ efficiency from beyond the arc despite the barrage of attempts. But through a combination of their luck running out – teams hitting more open shots – and an unnecessary amount of help rotation, it seems the floodgates have opened.

The writing might already be on the wall and there’s potential disaster waiting for the Raptors when it comes to guarding the Knicks’ high-powered offence. New York ranks sixth in three-point attempts (41) and fifth in percentage (37.5).

OG Anunoby missed the last game against the Raptors in New York but he’s expected to be available against his former team in Toronto. He shot 5-of-7 from three in their win against the Orlando Magic on Dec. 7.

Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 22 points and eight rebounds against the Raptors but could miss this game with left calf tightness. With all of the Achilles injuries occurring throughout sports, the Knicks could play it safe by holding Anthony Towns out for a second straight game.

Miles McBride is out with an ankle sprain. McBride knocked down four triples on his way to finishing with 14 points against the Raptors.

It starts with Shead​

Jamal Shead is currently listed as doubtful with a quad contusion, but should the scrappy guard suit up, he’ll play an instrumental role in a potential Raptors victory. Shead is 3-for-19 from three dating back to the 118-111 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 29. Despite his recent struggles, something has fundamentally shifted, either schematically or from a mindset perspective, because Shead is averaging 11 shots per game in the last two contests.

The issue with Shead’s aggressiveness isn’t necessarily that he’s missing the open shots that opposing defences are daring him to shoot. It’s the shots he’s taking halfway through the shot clock or from an unrealistic distance behind the three-point line. Shead needs to get back to farming assists, knocking down the occasional jumper and using his effective floater.

There’s also a growing concern about the fact that the team’s best lineup has defensive issues. The double point guard combination, which also features Quickley, manifests advantages on offence, but creates as many drawbacks on defence. Raptors fans have seen it in old-school duos like T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon. Or Calderon and Kyle Lowry. The duo of Lowry and Fred Van Vleet were able to offset it with enough defensive grit and a super-powered offence.

Shead’s responsibility will be serving as the connective tissue between the times Barnes and Ingram are on the court together. He’s trusted to defend the extremely slim margins for the Raptors, and he can do so by winning key battles throughout the game.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-g...d-reveal-everything-about-the-toronto-raptors

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Davis to Toronto? What does is mean to trade for the big man?

Things were supposed to be different for Anthony Davis. The number one pick out of Kentucky made his way out of the muck and mire of New Orleans to the glitz and glamour of the Los Angeles Lakers, won a championship alongside LeBron James, and seemed fixed for his legacy to be cemented on the West Coast. Now, stuck in the purgatory of the injury-riddled Dallas Mavericks, it seems that the Mavs’ front office is mulling over whether to let Davis go to exchange for more pieces to support rookie Cooper Flagg. With Shams Charania reporting that the Raptors are amongst the potential suitors for AD, let’s take a look at what a potential trade package for the Maverick would look like.

New Inside Pass:

Giannis and the Bucks
Anthony Davis suitors
Mavericks, Warriors, Clippers latest

and much more on ESPN: https://t.co/HXLK4TxpZE

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 9, 2025

5 for 5​

As an asset, AD brings with him not only his otherworldly basketball capabilities, but a great deal of baggage in terms of his injury history and availability. Davis’ health struggles have been widely publicized, and he has already missed a number of games this season, after playing only 51 games in the 2024-25 season. As such, the ten time all-star’s value is a contentious topic that the Raptors would likely be able to leverage for a good deal.

A trade package centred around Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, and picks, is the most likely offer that Toronto puts out for AD. In exchange for an injured, aging star, Dallas would receive a serviceable centre in Poeltl to shore up their roster. With centres Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II both out, having more backcourt depth in a slightly younger package would benefit the Mavericks.

With Kyrie Irving out and Davis having dialled back his offensive output, getting a temporary scoring punch would be of great benefit to the Mavs as well, which is why the production of RJ Barrett would hold some significant weight in trade talks. Not one player for the Mavericks has cracked 20 points per game this season, and exchanging some of Davis’ defence for Barrett’s offence would be worthy of consideration for both parties involved. At 25, Barrett is young enough to fit better with the developmental timeline of Cooper Flagg, but has enough experience that he could remain a valuable mentor for the rookie.

Davis’ reputation has enough weight that despite his risks and regression of late, the Mavericks would likely be able to demand some draft capital on top of players, likely in the form of two first round picks from the Raps. Considering that Toronto looks like a contender now, those picks might be a small price to pay in exchange for a veteran centre who could prove to be the true upgrade at the five that pushes Toronto over the hump. Shams has noted that Davis’ other Texas teammates might be on the trading block as well, so Davis might be paired with Klay Thompson in a package to make the Mavericks younger, more befitting of a place for Flagg to play his first NBA seasons.

The uncertainty that comes with Davis is a risk that seems even more pronounced now, and giving up one of our most reliable and important offensive pieces seems risky when we don’t know what our current roster looks like in the playoffs. That said, adding a veteran presence with real two-way capabilities could be the very thing the Raptors needs to take the next step for contention. My take? Too early to make this kind of trade: let this season play itself out. Even if Davis returns to his all-star form, the risk is too high, especially considering how well our current roster is playing. One misstep could send the franchise back into a pseudo-rebuild, the very state that the Mavericks find themselves in now.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-rumors/48838/anthony-davis-toronto-raptors-trade-shams

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Toronto Raptors’ woes continue as they lose NBA Cup QF to Knicks — but don’t panic yet

It’s been the closest thing we’ve had to playoff basketball in Toronto for a little while, as the Toronto Raptors played in their very first NBA Cup knockout game Tuesday night against the Knicks. Winner moves on to play the Orlando Magic in Las Vegas next weekend, losers head to Miami for a regular schmegular game next week. This game also counts as a regular-season game against the Raptors ’ record.

The Raptors came into this one as underdogs. As much as they killed the NBA Cup group stage, winning every game and being the first team to clinch a spot in this round, it’s been weeks since those games. Now, RJ Barrett is out with a knee injury (that seems to be healing well, but he’s still not back on the court), and Immanuel Quickley was out with an illness.

The energy going in was interesting to say the least. It’s hard, being down two very key players in a game with high stakes. Plus, after being questionable, Karl Anthony Towns turned out to be available for the game, another tough reality for the Raptors. You’d hope they’d pull something together of course, but it seemed very David vs Goliath from the start.

Brandon Ingram took on the burden of those absences and came out of the gate to have a massive first quarter. He scored 17 points in the first frame alone, making 6 of his 7 field goal attempts and bringing the Raptors to a 39-35 lead. Talk about respecting the Cup. It didn’t end up being enough to hold off Jalen Brunson though, who scored 20 of his own points in the first quarter, shooting 7-9 from the field and 4-6 from three-point range.

Anyway, things went south from there. The Knicks spent the second quarter icing out the Raptors on the offensive end, and Karl Anthony Towns went to work on both ends.

The offense has dried up for the Raptors in a big way. They have 11 points in the second quarter.

Knicks lead now up to 15.

— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) December 10, 2025

At halftime, the Knicks led 69-52 over the Raptors.

As the season goes on, the Raptors’ woes are becoming more and more evident. Maybe one of the biggest is the need for another big man. It’s funny how it doesn’t seem like too long ago that the team didn’t have a true centre at all, and that’s why Poeltl was brought in. Yet, it’s becoming clearer with every game that Poeltl’s back is bothering him, and even with him playing on the court, the Raptors don’t have a clear backup big.

Of course, there is Mamukelashvili and Collin Murray-Boyles, but both play that big-4, small-5 stretch big kinda position, which is good, but doesn’t replace what Poeltl brings to the team when he is at his best. Poeltl’s physicality, length, and rim protection are helped along with his size, and he has a few inches on both of his back-ups.

That’s when Poeltl is healthy, too. Which he clearly isn’t at the moment. His problem is described as back tightness, and it seems like something that is either taking a long time to heal or is something he just can’t shake at all. Regardless, you can see he is having a hard time moving out there, which is hard when you’re trying to match up with the size, speed, and skill of someone like KAT.

As trade deadline season begins to open up on Dec 15 — that’s the date a lot of the trade holds on certain contracts are lifted — the Raptors’ need for a big man seems to be the theme of their trade talks. They have already been named in some rumours associated with Anthony Davis, who seems to want out of Dallas, but it’ll be interesting to see what routes the team pursues.

So far this NBA season, the Toronto Raptors have been living in two extremes: The extreme GOOD of the winning streak and that stretch, and the extreme BAD of the past week and a half. Neither extreme truly represents what this team really is. They aren’t a top-seed in the East, sure, but they also aren’t a lottery team. At least, they shouldn’t be. They have enough talent not to be.

Three things need to happen for the Toronto Raptors right now. The first is that they need to take some days off, which thankfully are coming now. They’ll have a good stretch now to reset before having to return to action, at least a few days off in a row. Which is more than they have had for weeks. The next thing they need to do is get this team back to a level of health that is sustainable — get RJ Barrett and Quickley back into the lineup, and assess how bad Poeltl’s back is. What is the baseline of this team? We don’t know that right now.

That’s the third factor — figure out the authentic ceiling of this team, and address the weaknesses. Shop around for a big at the deadline. The reality is, this isn’t a team that needs to tank; they need to adjust. They need to figure out their true identity. Which is hard to do when you’re injured and playing such a condensed schedule.

When you think about it, their successes this season have already been a huge improvement from last year. This team was barely a .500-level team a year ago, and even making the NBA Cup knockout round is an improvement. Anything above being the 12-seed is an improvement. That’s not what people want to hear, but it’s true.

Things never turned around for the Toronto Raptors in their debut NBA Cup knockout game. The Knicks ended up dominating the game after the first quarter, Brunson finishing with 35 points on the night. The final score was 117-101. Brandon Ingram had his own 31 points, a silver lining for the Raptors, shooting 11-18 from the field.

The Raptors now have 5 nights off before they play their make-up game against Miami, in Miami, on Monday. The team says they will not practice for two days now before getting back into the gym, for rest. They also only play 2 games in the next 10 days, a contrast to their condensed schedule over the past two weeks where they played 7 games in 11 days.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-s...ptors-new-york-knicks-nba-cup-tournament-game

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors look to get back on track against Heat

It was just a couple weeks ago that the Toronto Raptors took a 17-point lead against the Charlotte Hornets, a 10-game winning streak on the line.

It has been a long two weeks.

The team is now on a losing streak. A loss against the Miami Heat would bring the streak to five games. Their halfcourt offense has gone from one of the league’s best to the worst, since a knee sprain knocked RJ Barrett out of the lineup. Jakob Poeltl has been plagued by back troubles which have hampered his performance.

The Raptors are still showing flashes of the fun, selfless and intense defensive team that they’d been over the first month of the season, when they were second in the East. They looked pretty electric during the first frame of the NBA Cup quarter-final game against the New York Knicks. But injuries and fatigue from a jam-packed schedule have been too much to overcome.

Tonight, fresh off a few days’ rest, the Raptors travel to Miami to face the Heat, whose 14-11 record is nearly identical to the Raptors’ 15-11 mark. Here are the details for tonight’s game:

Where to watch

TSN, 7:30 pm ET

Probable starters

Toronto – Immanuel Quickley, Ja’Kobe Walter, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

Miami – Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo

Injuries

Toronto – RJ Barrett (knee – OUT), Jamison Battle (knee – OUT)

Miami – Pelle Larson (ankle – OUT), Terry Rozier (not injury related – OUT), Kasparas Jakučionis (ankle – probable)

Rest up! The Heat are fast.​

The Raptors played a stretch of five games across eight days, and it showed. Guys looked tired and, while there were still good bursts of play, the team has endured long stretches of lethargic offense, lacklustre defensive rebounding and even a number of missed layups during this recent period. The team has now had five days to rest, and their fresh legs will hopefully give them a renewed competitiveness even without the offensive creation of RJ Barrett. The rest couldn’t have come at a better time: Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has revamped the team to become an uber-fast-paced machine that currently leads the league in pace. The Raptors have stunned teams at times with their pace this season, pushing the ball even off opponents’ made baskets. But no team has pushed the pace this year more than the Heat.

5-game losing streak is inevitable​

Both the Raptors and Heat are coming into this game on four-game losing streaks. One of these teams is leaving the Kaseya Center with a monkey off their back. The other team will have some soul-searching to do. The Heat have the advantage of missing zero core players – Tyler Herro is back in the lineup after missing a few weeks – while the Raptors are without Barrett.

Former Raptors include…​

Norman Powell, the beloved Raptor and NBA Champion who, at least in my eyes, was traded far too soon. His Players’ Tribune article continues to have both a breaking and warming effect on my heart. Powell’s production has exploded in the last couple years, landing him on lists of potential first-time All-Stars. He’s averaging a team-leading 24.6 points per game on 50-43-86 shooting splits. The Clippers traded him for Bradley Beal and John Collins.

Davion Mitchell, the gritty defensive point guard who lost his job with the Raptors to Jamal Shead and was traded last season, but is thriving right now, averaging 9.8 points and, most strikingly, 7.8 assists per game.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-game-previews/48858/raptors-look-to-get-back-on-track-against-heat

 

[Toronto Raptors]

The Rap-Up: Recalibrating for the second trimester

Welcome to the second trimester of the NBA season!

Say what you will about the NBA Cup, but it affords players and teams some much-needed rest. (If you think it’s too early for rest, take another look at the growing list of injuries league-wide!) While the first trimester feels like a race — frontrunners racing to establish supremacy; also-rans racing to exceed expectations; lottery teams racing towards the bottom of the standings — the second trimester is about jostling for positions and resetting expectations.

The Toronto Raptors fall into the second category of teams that surprised. Granted, they’ve fallen down to earth in December, but the team has shown enough to prove that there is a formula for success. Two seasons of losing and rebuilding have reaped some beautiful fruit (when everyone’s healthy).

With the team inching back towards full health, it will be interesting to see how Toronto fares after the NBA Cup break in reestablishing their place in the Eastern Conference pecking order.

December 15 @ Miami Heat

Speaking of overachievers, the Miami Heat have also turned heads to start the season. Miami has held opponents to 51.9% eFG, which ranks 2nd in the NBA (essentially 1st since OKC are from a different planet). The Heat’s defense ranks 1st in opponents’ FG % from long-mid-range and non-corner threes.

Miami has done all of this despite losing Kyle Anderson, Duncan Robinson, Kevin Love, and Haywood Highsmith during the offseason. They were also without Tyler Herro for the first 17 games of the season.

In classic Spoelstra fashion, he’s squeezed every positive attribute out of his players. Jaime Jaquez is averaging 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. Only 19 others are averaging at least 15/5/5, but Jaquez is the only one doing so off the bench. Miami rosters a Center who is 9th in rebounds per game, 12th in blocks per game, and 6th in defensive rating. You’re absolutely correct in guessing…..Kel’el Ware. Within the top 20 scorers in the league, only 5 players are averaging at least 50% from the field and 40% from three: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards, Jamal Murray, and Norm Powell(!).

In another universe, this would have been played in Las Vegas with a spot in the NBA Cup Finals on the line. It’s probably the same universe where the Raptors and Heat battled for the 2020 Eastern Conference Championship. (What? No, I’m still not living in the past!).

Brian Windhorst says Tyler Herro returning has messed up Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez “mojo”

“Ware and Jaquez had bigger roles before Herro came back and playing great. Since that has happened, In addition to league catching up, them two have lost their mojo a little bit”

(Via… pic.twitter.com/QqM7u0ynw6

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) December 10, 2025

Fun fact that may only interest me

Since taking over as Head Coach in 2008, Erik Spoelstra has led the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals six(!) times, winning twice. His teams have had a positive defensive rating — better than league average — in 17 of his 18 seasons (including this year).

As part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary, Spoelstra was named as one of the top 15 coaches of all-time. Players and coaches alike revere him as the best coach in the league.

Spoelstra has never won Coach of the Year.

Bonus fact: 4 other coaches from the top 15 list have also never won Coach of the Year (Chuck Daly, KC Jones, Jack Ramsay, and Jerry Sloan). What an odd award.

Prediction

The Raptors are 0-5 against teams currently ranked in the top 10 offensively and 3-2 against teams currently ranked in the top 10 defensively. Framed differently, Toronto has not defeated any team (outside of Cleveland) that is currently in the top 10 offensively or defensively. Miami is on the cusp of being top 10 offensively (12th) and very much entrenched as an elite defense (4th).

Toronto has lost each of the last four visits to Miami by double-digits, and have lost five of the last six meetings overall. The Heat get the win while covering the -5.5 spread.

December 18 @ Milwaukee Bucks

You know it’s a bad season when Darvin Ham and Taurean Prince lose in the NBA Cup! The pair had famously gone undefeated en route to NBA Cup titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023 and with these Bucks last season. Their invincibility carried on for two more games this season until falling to Miami and New York and, subsequently, bowing out of the NBA Cup.

On December 4th, Giannis Antetokounmpo was diagnosed with a right calf strain and sidelined for two to four weeks. Last week was a roller coaster of emotions as the Bucks notched an impressive victory over the Celtics, but followed by an absolute dud in getting routed by the Nets. Whether or not Antetokounmpo is in the lineup, there’s no reason Milwaukee should be losing by 42 points to the Brooklyn Nets.

Doc Rivers’ team is currently 11-16 and clinging to the final play-in spot. With over $60 million in dead money going to Damian Lillard and Vasilije Micic, as well as having only one tradeable draft pick for this year’s trade deadline, the writing should be on the wall to finally trade Giannis.

And yet…

Bucks Tell Rival Teams They're Buyers As Trade Season Opens https://t.co/at5on1wEve

— RealGM (@RealGM) December 15, 2025

Fun fact that may only interest me

In 2013, Bobby Portis Jr. won Mr. Basketball of Arkansas.

First of all, that title sounds 100 times cooler than winning the John Wooden Award for best collegiate player! Maybe it’s because I’m picturing a bunch of basketball players on stage like a Miss America pageant, but claiming the title of your favourite sport in your home state has got to feel like the ultimate honour. (Excuse me while I nominate myself for Mr. Mini Sudoku of Ontario)

Portis would go on to play 2 seasons with the University of Arkansas before being drafted by the Chicago Bulls.

Other notable players to win Mr. Basketball of Arkansas and play for the Razorbacks: Joe Johnson, Ronnie Brewer, Daniel Gafford, Isaiah Joe, and Jaylin Williams.

Prediction

Toronto had lost the previous 4 matchups against the Bucks before routing Milwaukee by 28 in the last matchup. This should be easier sledding with Giannis out. While there’s a possibility the Bucks surprise the Raptors like they did the Celtics last week, Toronto is healthier and desperate to get back to winning basketball. Toronto wins and covers the -1.5 spread.

December 20 vs. Boston Celtics

The Raptors desperately need this game. While it’s a home game, it’s also the third of six consecutive games where the Raptors are playing in a different arena. After starting the week with games in Miami and Milwaukee, the Raptors follow up this home game against the Celtics with a three-game road trip that will see the team spend Christmas in Washington.

With trade season officially underway — players acquired during the summer can be traded on December 15th — there’s one Celtic being thrown into every fake trade by every Boston fanatic: Chris Boucher. 2025 has not been a great year for Slimm Duck. He fell out of Darko’s rotation, even as the team didn’t care for winning last year. He was left unsigned for six weeks until Boston claimed him with the veteran minimum. Boucher’s ability to knock down threes and play impactful defense should have been an easy fit in Joe Mazzulla’s system. Unfortunately, Chris is, again, on the outside looking in and not getting playing time. Hopefully, he lands somewhere because he deserves to be in the NBA!

Jaylen Brown transition scoring

Leads NBA in transition points (145)

53/93 (57%) in transition pic.twitter.com/FZ3MYpYvro

— Naylor (@Naylor408) December 14, 2025

Fun fact that may only interest me

Oh look, another Mr. Basketball winner!

Jaylen Brown won Mr. Basketball of Georgia in 2015.

Seriously, can we make this into a real pageant with sashes and crowns? I want to know how Jaylen Brown will cure worldwide hunger.

Actually, no, I don’t want to know.

Prediction

As desperate as Toronto will be, the fact of the matter is that Boston has owned this rivalry. The Celtics have won 12 of the previous 13 matchups. Boston hoists threes (44.7% of their shot chart is from three; 2nd in frequency) as well as Toronto defends them (33.8%; 3rd in accuracy).

Part of the reason Boston lost to Milwaukee last week was because Sam Hauser shot 0-9 from three. Against Toronto, he will surely hit all 8 of his three-point attempts! Boston beats Toronto and covers the +2.5 spread.

December 21 @ Brooklyn Nets

Toronto plays the second game of a home-road back-to-back with a visit to the rising Nets. “Rising” may be a surprising was of describing a team with a 7-18 record, but Brooklyn already has more wins in December (4) than in October and November combined.

Leading the resurgence is Michael Porter Jr. In 4 of the 5 games he’s played in December, MPJ scored between 33 and 35 points, while draining at least 5 triples in each contest. The only game he didn’t reach those plateaus was the 42-point drubbing of Milwaukee where he wasn’t needed in the 4th quarter.

Michael Porter Jr is averaging 34.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists (!!) on 56% FG and 53.5% from 3 in the month of December

He leads the entire Eastern Conference in PPG this month.

The Nets are 3-1 & MPJ is +45 in those 4 games.

Eastern Conference All-Star? pic.twitter.com/yfAOlX2GLc

— MichaelPorterTruther (@MPJTruther) December 13, 2025

Fun fact that may only interest me

Michael Porter Jr.

Yes, you guessed it. Mr. Basketball of Washington in 2017.

The following year, Kevin Porter Jr. won the honour. Did the trophy makers just re-print the ‘Porter Jr.’ name plate and revise the year?

Prediction

Toronto has won 5 straight against Brooklyn, dating back to last season. Here are the scores for each of the last 3 contests:

• November 23, 2025: 119-109
• November 11, 2025: 119-109
• April 6, 2025: 120-109

Am I going out on a limb by predicting a Raptors win and a cover of the -9.5 spread?

Last Week: 0-0*

Season Record: 16-9

*I correctly predicted the Knicks to cover last week’s game but since there was no Rap-Up, I have no proof.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-a...-games-december-15-21-heat-bucks-celtics-nets

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Multiple Toronto Raptors have shots at All-Star nods

Voting for the 2026 NBA All-Star game in Los Angeles opened on Wednesday, and the Toronto Raptors have two players who have a decent shot at being there. The team’s social media accounts launched their voting campaigns, centring on Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram in their efforts.

If you’re unfamiliar with how NBA All-Stars are chosen, it happens in a few phases. First, there is the fan vote, where fans can vote for their favourite Eastern and Western stars. The five players in each conference who receive the most fan votes end up being honoured as starters. From there, the coaches choose the rest of the rosters, and then, if there are any injury replacements needed, Commissioner Adam Silver will choose them.

This year will be different, though, given that they are changing the format of the All-Star Game. They will have three teams of 8 players, two teams representing the United States and one team representing the rest of the World. The hope seems to be that the selection process will just end up making it so there are 16 Americans and 8 international players. The NBA’s website also explains that American players who have “ties” to other countries will be able to represent those countries on the international team, if that helps the numbers. Whether “ties” means legitimate citizenship or not is unknown. For example, there is an argument that Scottie Barnes could technically decide to represent Canada, since he plays and lives in Canada. Seems like a legitimate tie to the country, ya know?

SCOTTIE ALL-STAR

Vote now : https://t.co/hBrcYmT62a pic.twitter.com/uvnWDbcOEL

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 17, 2025

Per this explainer page on the format, if the numbers STILL don’t work out, it seems like Adam Silver will just choose additional All-Stars to add onto whichever team is lacking players. This means the teams may end up with more than 8 players total… It’s all a little odd.

This format change, of course, is to try and bring back some excitement around the NBA All-Star game, which has been lacking. No one really tries in the game, and it just ends up being boring. We’ll see if the US vs the World format and the three-team format, works, or if it just ends up being uncomfortable. I feel like the USA isn’t really in a place at the moment to be adding gasoline to international rivalries, but it’s also just basketball, so who knows.

You know, we here at Raptors HQ will be fully backing Team World, especially given the fact that it will very likely be led by Canada’s own Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If there is some sort of scenario where Scottie Barnes ends up repping Canada, more reason to celebrate.

Although Barnes and Ingram would likely represent Team USA if they end up being chosen as All-Stars, we’d still be happy. Both have excellent cases to make it, and although it may happen in different ways for each guy, it’ll be reason to celebrate.

It seems most likely that Barnes would make it as a reserve through the Coaches’ vote. The Raptors have a hard time competing in the fan vote, given that Canada is pretty small in comparison to the US, and our players don’t get as much American coverage. Despite being a top defensive player in the NBA this season, Barnes being in the top-5 for voting seems a little unrealistic. You already have Giannis, a Knick or two, Jaylen Brown, Cade, maybe someone from Orlando. He’s up there, but the votes will skew to the players in the US for sure, even if the Raptors are currently holding at 3rd in the East.

Ingram’s path may come as an injury replacement, given that a lot of the options for All-Star picks are currently out or in and out with injury. Adam Silver picks those, so it’s not up to fans or biases, and he is usually pretty fair with his picks. That’s how Scottie was chosen as a replacement the first time he made an appearance at the All-Star game.

You can vote for Barnes and Ingram here.

Either way, it seems like Toronto will have some representation at the All-Star game in 2026.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/nba-all-star-game/48891/toronto-raptors-all-star-voting-canada-nba

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Toronto Tempo continue to establish identity with new jerseys

The Toronto Tempo have finally announced the look of the jerseys for their inaugural season, and it seems that the team in the 6ix will be dressed to the nines when they take the court next year.

The Tempo will play in two different kits, the “Explorer” in the wine-coloured Bordeaux, and the “Heroine” in white. The Explorer’s colour is described as “fashion-forward” and “unique across the league,” designed explicitly to be worn by the team on the court, and by non-players as an elevated-looking jersey, leaning into the optics of streetwear.

Worth the wait.

The Toronto Tempo jerseys have arrived. Sign up at the link in bio to be the first to know when the Explorer goes on sale. pic.twitter.com/ivWAIzhWyA

— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) December 16, 2025

That much was evident from the photos used in promotional material, with the most prominent model of the jersey decked out in the camo pattern now in vogue, drawing the mind to an urban catwalk as opposed to the bench on the hardwood. Both jerseys were modelled by women and men decked out in chunky rings and slim chains, adorned with henna and covering their faces with massive sunglasses. The models looked as if they’d walked into the photoshoot out of Queen West party rather than a Coca-Cola Coliseum locker room, so the push for the Tempo’s jersey to become a fashion symbol before an icon of athletics seems to be in progress.

For a team that won’t be debuting for months, this is a great way to generate hype and get the name “Tempo” out on the streets of Toronto in a more organic way than billboard ads would. The dark bordeaux red of the Explorer jersey gives the team some visual connection to the Raptors, while maintaining enough visual distinction that the two couldn’t be confused by someone familiar with either brand. The use of a diverse group of models serves to reflect Toronto even better than the six “speed lines” representing the six boroughs. Seeing women of all different ages and backgrounds wear Tempo colours proudly is the best part of the jersey rollout.

Woven into Canadian basketball history. Learn more about our inaugural jersey design

Featuring our Founding Partners @cibc and Sephora Canada pic.twitter.com/GL2PtfgkiK

— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) December 16, 2025

When the Tempo branding was announced for the first time just about a year ago, I was thoroughly underwhelmed and extremely disappointed. My feelings on the “T” logo and the team colours have not changed. The logo (and name) of the franchise still appear derivative of the Indiana Pacers’ “P” with its trailing lines; as well, the names “Tempo” and “Pace” both relating to speed are too close for comfort. The branding being centred around powder blue and dark purple felt disconnected from the historic use of bright blue and red in the city’s sports teams, without being visually interesting enough to stand alone.

With the jerseys, the Tempo have done what I always hoped they would, and begun the move away from their initial awkward visual identity. They did so by embracing a much bolder set of colourways and an ethos of fashionability, while continuing to incorporate the blue as an accent colour rather than as the dominant hue.

Myself and other some members of the Raptors HQ staff have pointed to the CIBC logo as excessively large, which I believe is something that could be corrected in future iterations of Tempo uniforms. Compared to many modern WNBA jerseys, with large sponsor logos on the back, the Tempo will be showcasing their corporate relations front and centre, which is less than ideal when trying to build an independent identity.

I hope that with time, the Tempo will continue upon the path they have begun upon with these jerseys, evolving their identity into a more complete version of itself.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/wnba-news/48877/toronto-tempo-wnba-jerseys-new

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors take on Giannis-less Bucks

The Toronto Raptors got back on track on Monday with a win against the Miami Heat, and will look to keep it going in Milwaukee tonight.

Both the Raptors and Heat entered Monday’s contest on four-game losing streaks, but the Raptors pulled it out with clutch performances from Jamal Shead and Scottie Barnes, and a 28-point performance from Brandon Ingram.

While it wasn’t the prettiest start-to-finish game, the Raptors closed it out strongly. Tonight they’ll look to carry that momentum against a familiar opponent: the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tonight marks the third game this season between the Raptors and Bucks, with the first two having resulted in a six-point loss and a 28-point win for the Raptors.

But the Bucks will look different this time around, as perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo is sidelined with a calf strain that’s kept him out for two weeks.

The 11-16 Bucks have not been particularly good with Antetokounmpo this season, but they’ve been truly rudderless without him, with a record of 2-8. They are coming off a 127-82 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, a basement-dwelling team stuck in 13th in the East. (Former Raptor Gary Trent Jr. led the Bucks in scoring that game with 20 points.)

In many ways tonight’s matchup lines up well for the Raptors. Giannis is out. The Raptors’ road record of 8-5 is better than the Bucks’ 8-7 record at home. Granted, they are still without RJ Barrett, whose slashing and offensive creation have proven to be sorely missed by the Raptors, who are 12-5 with Barrett and 4-6 without him.

The Raptors would be greatly helped if Jamal Shead can pick up where he left off against the Heat, when he was a team-leading +27 and dished out 10 assists along with eight points. They also got nice bench contributions from Sandro Mamukelashvili who put up 11 and seven rebounds plus two steals, Gradey Dick who scored 10, and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, who stuffed Bam Adebayo.

And, of course, Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram are both making cases for the All-Star team. Ingram put up 28-5-5 against the Heat, while Barnes stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists along with two blocks and three steals. Ochai Agbaji has been getting the starting nod as of late in Barrett’s absence.

Tonight’s game takes place a few days after the NBA’s unofficial “trade season” opened up. Despite a nice start to the season, the Raptors have found themselves in trade rumors. Unlike in past years, however, when every rumor was about which beloved player the Raptors would be selling next, these ones have been on the theme of upgrading at the center position.

Jakob Poeltl has been a productive difference maker when healthy this season, but back issues have kept him out of the lineup in seven games. In a bunch of the games he has played, Poeltl has looked noticeably slower and less effective than his usual self. While the five days of rest before Monday’s game will hopefully help in his recovery, Poeltl’s mobility will be something to monitor as the Raptors are rumored to be eyeing the center market, with names like Anthony Davis and Domantas Sabonis floating around.

Where to Watch

TSN, 8 pm EST

Probable starters

Toronto: Immanuel Quickley, Ochai Agbaji, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

Milwaukee: Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner

Injuries

Toronto: RJ Barrett (knee – OUT), Jakob Poeltl (back – probable)

Milwaukee: Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf – OUT), Taurean Prince (neck – OUT), AJ Green (shoulder – OUT), Kyle Kuzma (illness – questionable), Cole Anthony (neck – questionable)

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-game-previews/48896/raptors-take-on-giannis-less-bucks

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Late-game execution the key for Toronto against the Bucks

After a challenging homestand, the change of scenery has been a welcome sight for the Raptors. After a solid win Monday, they followed that up tonight with a well-fought win over the Milwaukee Bucks 111-105.

Both teams have had their share of struggles recently. Milwaukee continues to miss Giannis Antetokounmpo who was joined by Taurean Prince and Kyle Kuzma on the injury list once again. A massive, 45-point loss to Brooklyn and trade rumors continue to make the Bucks look like a rudderless ship that has been underperforming all season. The Raptors had their own woes, with RJ and Jak still sidelined with their respective injuries. Undoubtedly that contributed to their recent string of losses, but their kryptonite during that stretch was exhaustion. With a little rest they have returned to form.

this ball movement pic.twitter.com/g6DdSTiJ46

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 19, 2025

Bobby Portis was the unsung hero for Milwaukee, doing everything that he usually does that makes him such a big part of their roster. His shooting, defence, and scrappy plays helped keep them in the game. He finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Kevin Porter Jr. and Myles Turner were also big parts of the Bucks offence, ending with 22-4-13 and 21-6-1 respectively.

The pace and ball movement were the keys for the Raptors, finding open shooters with the extra pass. Their rebounding, especially on longer boards, were excellent tonight, preventing second chances for the Bucks for much of the contest. Mamu, Scottie, and Ingram all led the way for Toronto tonight, ensuring the victory despite difficult games for much of the lineup and only 21 total bench points. Mamu, returning to Milwaukee where his career started, took advantage of the familiar territory and the opportunity to start the game. His 3-point shooting, aggression on the boards, and cutting all helped contribute to the Raptors’ win. He finished the game with 18-7-2. Scottie was also an excellent factor for Toronto on both ends, showing why he leads the league in stocks this season. He ended with 24-11-2 with 3 stocks, helping clinch the victory for the Raptors. Ingram showed veteran savvy, forcing his way into the paint and making tough shots whenever the Raptors found themselves in a scoring drought. When the final buzzer sounded, his final contribution was 29-8-2 and 2 steals.

GET THAT GARBAGE OUTTA HERE pic.twitter.com/bokKAHZ43T

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 19, 2025

The Raptors started hot. BI went 3-3 in the frame from long range and Scottie went 4-4 from the field. Their defence was high-energy, denying possessions early for the Bucks. As soon as they got the ball back, they were out and running, giving themselves a variety of easy looks. If the Bucks were able to find the shooter, Toronto would make smart extra passes to get easy and open shots. Their biggest weakness to start was turnovers, with 7 in the first quarter, many of which were unforced and simply questionable passes in through the paint to cutters or on the wing. Despite leading by 11 points early, the turnovers gave the Bucks a chance to get within 6 at the buzzer.

Scottie leading the league in stocks (steals + blocks) this season

VOTE SCOTTIE FOR ALL-STAR : https://t.co/hBrcYmT62a pic.twitter.com/v1ttJ3d0vt

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 19, 2025

In the second quarter, the Bucks were able to draw even with Toronto. Their biggest adjustments were defensive, shutting down a lot of the Raptors’ transition play and facing them with a physicality that is tough to overcome. Their bench also outperformed Toronto’s as Gradey Dick continues to struggle this season. Shead, Walter, and Battle were all almost non-factors as well. Meanwhile, Bobby Portis, Ryan Rollins, and Gary Harris scored a combined 25 points in the first half alone, giving the Bucks the edge. One of the more interesting notes as the quarter wore on was the absence of foul calls in Toronto’s favour. Despite some contact around the rim, Toronto didn’t get a single free-throw in the entire first half. The Bucks were 10-12, a stark contrast that led to plenty of conversation from the Raptors’ coaching staff and players on the court.

okayyy, B.I pic.twitter.com/AAgFzn74Ei

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 19, 2025

Doc Rivers wasn’t shy to make adjustments during half-time, coming out of the locker room with an adjusted lineup that went on an early 6-point run, giving the Bucks the lead for the first time. Quickley made an effort to get going early, but was still unable to find any shooting rhythm. The free-throw disparity started to be corrected, with both Scottie and BI finding their way to the line in the first few minutes. Toronto regained and held the lead, now with a bit of help from the bench. Shead and CMB weren’t big scoring factors, but their stifling defence slowed the Bucks. As the quarter wore on, the Raptors’ frustration with the officiating grew, but they were able to stay composed and hold a 7-point lead before the final frame.

B.I SLAM pic.twitter.com/DtDogGq3sw

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 19, 2025

The Bucks weren’t ready to give in easily and the Raptors weren’t initially ready to respond. Milwaukee tried to will themselves the lead, putting in more effort for loose balls and rebounds. Their desperation made them too aggressive though, so for the final 7 minutes of the game, Toronto was in the bonus. Darko left the bench out as long as possible, trying to buy rest for the starters, but let the Bucks within a single possession. Scottie and BI restored order with their return, building back their lead. They were able to survive a scoring drought halfway through the quarter, and execute in the final two minutes to escape with the game. Unexpectedly, the biggest offensive possessions came from Quickley who made a pair of big baskets when needed most despite struggling all game.

Next, they will return home for a single game against Boston on Saturday before going back out on the road.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-s...ecution-the-key-for-toronto-against-the-bucks

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Toronto Raptors have a Poeltl Problem

The Toronto Raptors have a lot to be proud of these days. They are currently (as of Friday, Dec. 19) 3rd in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 17-11, and have also won their last two road games after a hard stretch of losses that ended in their NBA Cup elimination. Yet, as we head into trade season, the focus now shifts to what this team can do to improve before the deadline.

The Raptors have one glaring problem as we approach the new year: Jakob Poeltl. While his potential on paper makes this team exponentially better, the glaring problem is his ongoing back injury. When he’s out on the floor, he looks stiff and disjointed, and the amount of time the Raptors have been keeping him off the floor draws more concern about the severity of his injury.

Ahead of the Raptors’ game on Thursday night in Milwaukee, Poeltl was questionable to play. Many online speculated that his questionable status may have been to build some precedent before they ultimately hold him during one of the Raptors’ upcoming back-to-back games for rest and injury management. Then, he was confirmed out of the game, after the Raptors had barely played in the past 10 days, giving him a lot of time for rest and recovery in between. The fact that he was still held out because of this injury was not a good sign.

One of the team’s biggest needs as we head into trade season is depth at the centre position. Even with Poeltl, they need a bit of backup, another 7-footer, especially with Poeltl injured. There is also the option to include Poeltl in a deal, allowing the Raptors to make a bigger swing at a big target. In recent reports from Jask Fischer, he has determined players like Davis, Sabonis, and Gafford as potential targets for Toronto. Poeltl may need to be a factor/piece in these talks.

Yet, if the back injury really is as bad as it seems, the question shifts from ‘do we trade Poeltl?’ to ‘does Poeltl even pass the physical needed for the trade to go through?’ or ‘do teams risk taking on his contract with this injury problem?’

This ends up posing a bigger problem for Toronto. If Poeltl is 100% healthy, then you can easily swing for a lower-costing backup option for him without having to give up too much. If he isn’t healthy, then the focus needs to switch to replacing him — but how can you deal with his contract if he’s that hurt? Do you have to give up other assets in order to make it work and then just live with his current deal?

Regardless, it’s becoming more of a problem with each passing day. The Raptors were lucky to edge out wins against Miami and Milwaukee — the latter being helped along by Giannis’s absence from the lineup — mostly due to Scottie Barnes’s efforts. Their guard play is suffering with Poeltl out, especially since the difference in Immanuel Quickley’s efforts is noticeable with and without Poeltl on the floor.

The good news for the Raptors is that Barnes and Brandon Ingram are both playing at an All-Star level. Barnes is almost guaranteed a spot on the team, with Ingram being a little less certain but still deserving. This is helping the Raptors maintain their positioning in the standings, but it isn’t what they should 100% be relying on.

The Raptors usually like to wait until closer to the deadline to make moves, letting the marbles fall from other teams first, unless they have a big move to make. In the 2023-24 season, the Raptors were big movers, dealing both Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby pretty early by deadline standards. Unless the Raptors are going to be a part of any blockbuster early trades, I wouldn’t expect much to go on until after the New Year.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-r...e-options-poeltl-injury-davis-sabonis-updates

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Heated Rivalry has the potential to change the culture of male sports

If you’ve been living under a rock or don’t appreciate good television, you may not know about the latest sports show that’s captured the attention of pretty much everyone this month: Heated Rivalry. A Crave original, now their most successful original show of all time, is adapted from a romance novel about two rival NHL players who embark on a steamy secret romance. The television adaptation is everything good about TV — brilliantly shot, well-written and poignant, with acting that is truly magnificent and fully immerses you into this world. Its distribution deal with HBO in the US has launched this show into the zeitgeist and has gotten better and better with each episode.

This is insane. https://t.co/FAxYCDlLj2 pic.twitter.com/MujhaBQ7Kd

— Max Gao (@MaxJGao) December 20, 2025

You may be thinking, Chelsea, what does this have to do with basketball? Well, my dear readers, did you really think that I, as the manager of this here blog site, who also has a graduate degree in screenwriting, would not do whatever it took to make this incredibly good show fit into the scope of this site? I’ve written about Bridgerton, Drag Race, and Dancing with the Stars on Raptors HQ, and after being hooked on Heated Rivarly, reading all the books in a matter of days, and consuming everything about this show like it’s air, I have thoughts.

While latching onto this show like it was the last drop of water in a desert, I’ve noticed something pretty spectacular — real hockey media are talking about it. Not just in jest, but truly watching and analyzing this show through the lens of their actual NHL coverage. It’s relevant, given the fact that the books and show examine the prejudices against LGBTQIA+ athletes, the pressures the athletes themselves feel to hide their identities, and the archaic culture of hockey as a whole. Arguably a little more in the sequel, to be honest, which is already greenlit to be turned into season two of the show by Crave.

Screaming, crying, throwing up!#HeatedRivalry is confirmed for
SEASON 2 on Crave! pic.twitter.com/pYfjJbYter

— Crave (@CraveCanada) December 12, 2025

I know hockey is probably a more male-dominated media space than basketball is, and that hockey as a whole is definitely a more conservative sport, too. Seeing guys like the What Chaos Podcast actually talking about this show authentically and endearingly has been really nice, and bridged a gap between television and sports that often doesn’t exist. Even more so when you think about the fact that the central romance of this show is between two men, a dynamic that very much has a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach in all male sports.

There is also the fact that I myself watch the show from a different lens than a lot of people. As one of the only women in the Toronto Raptors media room, I understand the complexities and culture of a male professional sports team more than the average person. I can only use my experiences covering the Raptors as an example, of course.

The reality is, I’ve seen both sides of the themes Heated Rivalry explores in my time covering the team. If this show were to be about basketball instead of hockey, I know I would equally enjoy the coverage I would see from the guys I work with at Raptors games. It would be funny and insightful and honest without being hateful, because that’s what their normal coverage is like, and I know that’s who they are as people. Similarly to a lot of the hockey coverage I am currently seeing about Heated Rivalry.

Yet, male sports as a whole are still incredibly behind when it comes to LGBTQIA+ acceptance, and no, just having a “Pride Night” isn’t really enough. Especially because a lot of the time, male sports Pride Nights feel hollow and performative — I’ve been to my fair share. Also, the last time I attended a Raptors Pride Night, I had the pleasure of standing courtside before the game and hearing two employees have a very loud, very homophobic conversation about the festivities. Unfortunately, a little too on the nose when it comes to how behind male sports still are.

Does the undeniable success of a show like Heated Rivalry, which is both objectively good television and also explores a currently taboo topic like the existence of LGBTQIA+ players in male sports leagues, have the potential to change culture? Not just in hockey, but in all male sports? It’s possible, honestly.

Heated Rivalry spoilers ahead.

Let’s take episode five of Heated Rivalry, for example. The entire season has revolved around Ilya Rozanov of the “Boston Raiders” and Shane Hollander of the “Montreal Metros” keeping their relationship a secret for over a decade. Their reasoning is simple: they aren’t gay professional hockey players, none that are out, anyway. There is also the added layer that Ilya and Shane are “arch rivals” on rival hockey teams, and fans would very likely not accept their relationship, not because they are two men, but because they play for Boston and Montreal.

As someone who grew up in a Montreal Canadiens-obsessed household, the rivalry and disdain for the Boston Bruins really did stretch this far.

Episode three of the show revolved around a different relationship, Scott Hunter of the “New York Admirals” and Kip, a barista he meets. After falling in love, Scott and Kip struggle because Scott is struggling with the same issues Ilya and Shane are — there is no precedent for what would happen to a hockey player who is gay. They worry for their careers, the families they support, and more.

Episode five ends in a sequence where New York wins the championship, and Shane and Ilya watch at home as Scott calls Kip onto the ice and kisses him. In seeing all his teammates celebrating with their families on the ice, Scott realizes he wants the same, and in doing so, comes out as the first openly gay hockey player in the show. The ripple effect on Shane and Ilya is immediate, and the episode ends with Ilya promising to come to Shane’s cottage after previously thinking it wouldn’t be okay to do so. We’ll continue to see the ripple effects of Scott Hunter’s coming out for the rest of the series.

Scott Hunter, you are THE MAN. #HeatedRivalry pic.twitter.com/i3e7xeyv0Z

— Love, Danny (@DannyWxo) December 19, 2025

What does this mean for real-life sports, then? Well, take this ending scene from episode 5, for example. There could be athletes all over who watched that scene with the same feverish expressions that were displayed on Shane and Ilya’s faces. Sure, the show is fictional, but we all know that representation matters in all facets. It matters to see women covering male sports, women’s sports getting the fanfare they deserve, or seeing people who are relatable represented on a TV show.

Yet, I think some of the biggest impacts Heated Rivalry will end up having are the way it’s being talked about in sports media, especially. Not to pull the “I am credentialled media” card again, but these spaces are so heteronormative and male. The fact that hockey podcasts, ESPN writers, and sports pundits all over (mostly men, mind you) are talking about this show about two male hockey players in love is already a change in itself. It’s normalizing the idea that we can have a show like this that transcends sports and culture, and shows us that professional athletes are human, too. It’s normalizing talking about LGBTQIA+ issues in sports, a big talking point of the analysis of Heated Rivalry in sports spaces. It’s making people actually talk about what needs to be done to make male professional sports leagues a more inclusive space.

That’s the beauty of television, and of art as a whole, honesty. At its best, it acts as a channel for us to examine ourselves, culture, and society. A television show about two men on fake hockey teams is an enjoyable escape for your evening, sure, but it also gives us a reason to examine how our society is lacking. The idea that so many people immediately felt this attachment to this piece of art is because it gives a taste of what we are lacking in male sports. Acceptance, openness, authenticity, inclusion, and safe spaces to be exactly who you are.

Heated Rivalry has reminded us of the importance of art in a time when we need it most. With so much division in the world, the idea of coming together over a silly, frankly smutty, romance show about hockey players almost seems comical. Instead, it’s starting an incredible conversation about what it means to be human. A conversation that will likely make your parents side-eye you at the Christmas dinner table this week, but could cause a chain reaction of revolutionary acceptance for years to come.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/48922/heated-rivalry-crave-hbo-lgbtqia-hockey-nhl-nba-sports

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Can the Raptors even the season series against the Celtics?

The Toronto Raptors aim to start a three-game winning streak as the Boston Celtics aim to stop a two-game skid as the third and fourth seeds in the Eastern Conference match up in Toronto this Saturday night. Having lost the most recent contest to the C’s, Toronto will be looking to even the season series before heading on to a lengthy holiday road trip.

Keeping the magic going​

Key players on the Raptors have been putting up big numbers over the last few games. Brandon Ingram has been showing out as a scorer, averaging 29.5 points over the last four games, including a 30-piece against the Celtics. Scottie Barnes has posted two double-doubles over the same time frame, and has been playing excellent defence, pouring in more than four stocks over the last two games. Off the bench, Jamal Shead has proved a bright spot amidst this season’s second-unit woes, notching two double-digit assist games in the last two wins, and dropping 18 points in the NBA Cup’s quarter-finals against the Knicks.

They will need every bit of that production against the Celtics, who have established their post-championship roster with Jaylen Brown proving himself to be every bit of a premier first option this year. Despite a rough start, the Celtics have clawed their way back into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference again, and will pose a formidable opponent to the Raptors as they try to recover their footing after the stretch of losses they racked up starting at the end of November.

Holding the line​

The absence of RJ Barrett has been a major concern for the Raptors, who have lost six of their last eleven games without the Canadian swingman. However, the potential absence of Jakob Poeltl is a more serious concern. The Raptors’ lack of centre depth and Poeltl’s injuries has been discussed at length, and Saturday’s matchup may serve as yet another reminder that the Raptors need to make moves for big man to either bolster their lineup, or take over Poeltl’s starting job. While the Celtics’ scoring punch may come from their guards and forwards that the Raptors are more equipped to deal with, the lack of reliable interior presence from a big man remains problematic.

The Celtics, on the other hand, are playing with an entirely healthy starting lineup, minus, of course, Jayson Tatum, whose saga of recovery from the Achilles injury in the 2025 playoffs continues. Jaylen Brown has been on fire recently, with a number of big scoring games over the past month, and getting to the line a great deal. Payton Pritchard, newly promoted to the starting lineup after winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2024-25, has seen a dip in production and a drop in efficiency in the Celtics’ last two losses, shooting an egregious 28.6% from the field in the game against Milwaukee last week. Containing Brown as the Celtics’ offensive engine, while not allowing Derrick White to catch fire as the secondary scoring option is the key to a Raptors’ victory.

Winning here consolidates Toronto’s position as top-three in the East by bloodying the nose of their divisional rival, and gaining some additional buffer space in the standings. A loss here bodes poorly for the Raptors, sparking questions about how realistic playoff contention is against serious contenders. The Raptors have beaten a lot of mediocre, injured, and outright bad teams this season, but wins against competitive squads have been few and far between. The chance to prove that the Raptors can hang with the best in the East is here, tonight.

Game Information and Details​

Game Time: 7:00 EST

Watch On: TSN

Injury Report:

Toronto: Jakob Poeltl (Day-to-day – back), RJ Barrett (Out – knee)

Celtics: N/A

Projected Lineups

Toronto: Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Ochai Agbaji, Immanuel Quickley, Sandro Mamukelashvili

Boston: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, Payton Pritchard

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/48916/raptors-celtics-matchup-scottie-barnes-jaylen-brown

 

[Toronto Raptors]

This loss to the Celtics raises uncomfortable questions for Toronto

Christmas has come early for Boston fans, as the Celtics were delivered an overwhelming victory, 112-96, in Toronto on Saturday night. Jaylen Brown might as well have been driving that sleigh, as the Celtics had no need for their leading scorer to beat down the Raptors in their own arena. The Raptors begin their road trip after this brutal loss at home that demonstrates just how badly Toronto needs its starters to be competitive against the best teams in the East. The Raptors fell to fifth in the East tonight, a sharp plummet from their place in the top three.

The Celtics’ winning of the opening tip would set the tone for the game’s first quarter. Payton Pritchard exploded offensively early on, as Boston set good screens that the Raptors struggled to navigate around. Brandon Ingram and Sandro Mamukelashvili dropped in shots as well, starting their scoring early. Colin Murray-Boyles checked in as the sixth man and immediately took his signature role on the interior, dropping in a nice lay. His three pointer to bring the lead to 20-16 was the last score the Raptors would see in the quarter, as the Celtics shut out Toronto for four-and-a-half minutes as Luka Garza dropped in bucket after bucket. With a minute left in the first, Scottie Barnes picked up a monster block on Garza, but a Derrick White three-pointer would punctuate the end of the quarter, with the Raptors down 12. Barnes was quiet offensively throughout the first quarter, contributing rebounds alongside a number of missed shots.

Ingram and White traded three pointers early in the second, keeping the Celtics lead at 13. Mamukelashvili, thrust into the starting lineup tonight, continued to impress offensively with Poeltl out, spacing the floor and scoring on the interior to cut Boston’s lead to single-digits. Under the basket, Neemias Queta came down hard on Scottie Barnes, who made a basket before folding in half, clutching his face. The brutal and prolonged contact was assessed as a flagrant, sending Scottie to the line and keeping hold of the ball for the Raps.

SCOTTIE WITH THE TWO-HANDED SLAM pic.twitter.com/247iuYTzXG

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 21, 2025

Off a missed layup, Barnes got his own rebound and jammed it home with authority, bringing the game within a single possession. Ball movement looked fluid, with Jamal Shead conducting a high-tempo offence. Two free throws from Ochai Agbaji cut the lead to one again, as the Raptors began clawing their way out of the pit the Boston offence had dug. Off a size-up, Brandon Ingram kicked out to Immanuel Quickley, as the Kentucky Guard splashed home a three to make it Raptors’ lead at the end of the second. The Raptors had turned it around by halftime, with a score of 51-49.

Barnes came out hot off the break, dropping in a three to set the scene for the third quarter. While Payton Pritchard remained a tenacious presence on offence, the Raptors seemed to click on the attack, raining down threes like artillery shells on the Celtics. This assault allowed the Raptors to eke out a modest lead against the Celtics, which would be cut down bit-by-bit by Payton Pritchard. With Derrick White quiet to start this game, the go-to offensive role was adopted by Payton Pritchard, bouncing back from a series of rough games to have 27 points by the end of the third. His last bucket of the quarter was a fadeaway jumper to gain a one-possession lead for the Celtics, leading the Raptors to play from behind in the fourth.

A run starting with some Anfernee Simons jump shots was punctuated with a Derrick White three to bring the Celtics lead to double digits once more, 84-94. White turned things in the final quarter of the game, finally finding his shot and pouring buckets in for the Cs. Ingram and Barnes struggled mightily to prevent a total collapse, holding the line with less than half a quarter left. A Hugo Gonzalez steal followed by a coast-to-coast dunk added insult to injury, bringing the Celtics’ lead to 12 points with three minutes left. Immanuel Quickley’s missed three followed by a foul served to highlight his absence from the night’s box score. While his seven assists were much needed, going 1 for 12 in a game without RJ Barrett is no small factor in condemning the Raptors to tonight’s loss. The Raptors pulled their starters and allowed the game to pass naturally, with the final score at 96-112 for a Celtics victory.

“The game is about rebounding. They got 17 offensive rebounds, and 23 second-chance points,” said coach Darko Rajaković in the post game presser. Indeed: out-rebounded without Jakob Poeltl and outscored without RJ Barrett – all without facing Jaylen Brown – it is clear that the Raptors need their whole lineup healthy to be competitive, and that their status as a true competitor must be re-assessed going into the new year.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/48934/raptors-beat-celtics-brandon-ingram-payton-pritchard

 

[Toronto Raptors]

The league caught up to the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat

The Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat are separated by differences in culture, philosophy, and to the chagrin of Canadian basketball enthusiasts, the temperature in December.

However, even with the disparity, there are clear plot points indicating that both teams have charted similar courses ahead of their matchup on Tuesday.

After a mixed bag of results out of the gate, the Raptors and Heat discovered their rhythm around the back-end of the first leg of the season-long NBA race. Toronto surged to 14-5 on the heels of a nine-game winning streak, while Miami won six consecutive games to catapult to 13-6.

One month later and both organizations are in the midst of a downward spiral. In their last ten contests, the Raptors (3-7) and Heat (2-8) have played uninspiring basketball and continue to gravitate back towards .500.

Ahead of tip-off – which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST on Sportsnet – both teams need a win to initiate a reset inside the locker room before the holidays.

Along the thread that links both teams’ respective journeys is a collection of injuries to key rotational players.

After undergoing surgery for his left ankle and foot in September, Tyler Herro returned to the Heat on Nov. 24. But an unrelated toe injury placed the scorer back on the bench. With Herro only appearing in six games this season, the Heat are leaning on math to hide their deficiencies. Miami leads the league in pace (number of possessions per 48 minutes) and is second in shot attempts.

The Heat run into trouble when opposing defences limit their fast break opportunities or take away early offensive progressions.

For the Raptors, it begins and ends with wing RJ Barrett and centre Jakob Poeltl.

Since Barrett went down with a knee injury on Nov. 23, the Raptors are 5-7. While Barrett doesn’t grade as the strongest defender or three-point shooter, his presence is sorely missed, particularly on the offensive end. The Raptors failed to score at least 100 points in five of their 12 games without Barrett. They crossed the century mark in each of the 17 contests Barrett suited up for.

The Raptors have seen an increase in zone usage from their opponents in the last few weeks. And it’s almost a certainty that Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who never needs a push to go into zone, will deploy a coverage daring the Raptors to shoot.

With the spinning carousel of Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, and Ja’Kobe Walter showing no signs of stopping, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic has often turned to Jamal Shead. But despite Shead’s defensive grit and evolving playmaking skillset, the sophomore point guard doesn’t provide enough at this point in his career to offset the overall defensive mismatch that comes with playing alongside Immanuel Quickley.

Though Barrett may be close to returning, the outlook for Poeltl remains murky.

The two likeliest scenarios are that Poeltl continues to be an unreliable resource for the rest of the season or that the big man finally gets completely shut down. Both are grim results with season-sabotaging potential.

Regardless of what ultimately transpires, the Raptors cannot survive in this environment. The last time Toronto grappled with what it means to play without a true centre, the front office traded a first-round pick for Poeltl. Until another acquisition occurs, the Raptors must lean on what they have in-house to stay afloat.

Unfortunately for the Raptors, the Heat thrive on the glass. Miami is the seventh-best rebounding team in the NBA, particularly due to Bam Adebayo’s consistency and the emergence of Kel’el Ware. The second-year big man finished with 28 points and 19 rebounds against the New York Knicks on Dec. 21. In his last three games, Ware is averaging 24.6 points and 15 rebounds.

Sandro Mamukelashvili quickly etched his name in Raptors’ lore as one of the greatest free agent signings in franchise history, but the dynamic stretch four can only do so much to make up for the interior presence Poeltl provides.

At some point, the coaching staff could consider utilizing rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, particularly as the centre on the court and flanked by as many defenders as possible. For example, the Raptors have played a lineup featuring Murray-Boyles, Agbaji, Barnes, Shead and Brandon Ingram a total of only eight minutes this year. Despite the small sample size, the data points to a hidden gear the Raptors might have due to the favourable offensive and defensive ratings, which could be something that keeps the Raptors in the race until they sort out their big man issues.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-g...ught-up-to-the-toronto-raptors-and-miami-heat

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Unlikely duo produce career nights, reveal Raptors have second gear

In another timeline, the Toronto Raptors dropped their final game before the holiday break. That group opts to delay improvement in the hope that time with family and an overall reset will drive the team forward.

But this version of the Raptors didn’t have plans to wait for anyone to save them from a three-game losing streak. They treated their trip to Miami as a “get-right” type of game and were rewarded for their efforts with a 112-91 victory over the Heat on Tuesday.

Holding Miami to a season-low 91 points and finally surpassing the 100-point mark after two clunkers against the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets should momentarily quiet the doubters.

Here are four more takeaways from the surprising but refreshing road win.

The Poeltl prescription​

With Jakob Poeltl missing another game due to a lingering back ailment, the Raptors turned to two secondary options to cure their woes at the five spot – Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Murray-Boyles.

On a night against one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA, the Raptors leaned on the duo to negate as much of the assumed disadvantage on the glass as possible. Not only did Mamukelashvili and Murray-Boyles do an admirable job of that, with the Toronto out-rebounding Miami 53-46, but the pair also applied relentless offensive pressure on opposing bigs.

During the opening possessions of the first and second halves, the Raptors made a concentrated effort to attack Kel’el Ware. Even when he wasn’t the on-ball defender, Ware was forced into various actions, which subsequently took the centre out of ideal positioning for rebounds.

Mamukelashvili was an offensive generator who shifted coverages and displayed how valuable it is to have a stretch big next to Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. He finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and a career-high 7 assists. Mamukelashvili also shot 4-for-6 from three.

Murray-Boyles’ performance was a battle cry for those yearning for the rookie to play a larger role in games. In Poeltl’s absence, Murray-Boyles recorded his first double-double and finished with a career-high in both total (12) and offensive rebounds (9). His 9 offensive rebounds are the most by any rookie this year. It’s also the most by a Raptor rookie since Scottie Barnes (9) in 2022.

False starts in disguise ​

A holiday miracle transformed into a mirage when the Raptors began the night playing their most inspired stretch of basketball this season, only to let the Heat back into the contest without much resistance.

The Raptors surprisingly knocked down their first three attempts from beyond the arc and weaponized that momentum to build a 16-3 lead. But after the ensuing timeout, the Heat responded with a 10-2 run. Miami’s momentum carried into the second quarter. And after a Bam Adebayo slam in transition, the Heat capped off a 22-7 run to claim their first lead of the game.

But unlike in their previous two games against the Nets and Celtics, the Raptors’ search for a second gear yielded positive results. Toronto ultimately overcame the sluggish start against Miami, but with the health of key rotation players in doubt and the bench grappling with inconsistency, it’s important for the team to win opening frames.

More CMB​

Murray-Boyles hasn’t had a chance to properly play meaningful minutes as the small-ball five that many envisioned he would eventually become. After the Heat claimed their first lead of the evening in the second quarter, the Raptors deployed Murray-Boyles as the lone big on the floor. It was a limited sample size, but the Raptors finished on a 5-3 run while shooting 50 per cent from the field. They also limited the Heat to 0-for-2 on the other end.

In the fourth quarter, while sharing the floor with Barnes, the Raptors asked Murray-Boyles to defend the pick-and-roll, which freed up the former to do what he does best as a free safety. This combination helped push Toronto to a 23-point lead, its largest of the night up to that point.

On the offence, Murray-Boyles slotted into the dunker’s spot normally reserved for Poeltl. While his location regulates the rookie’s offensive ceiling, the strategic decision maintains scheme continuity that the Raptors desperately need.

The carousel spins, with no end in sight ​

The trio of Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick and Ja’Kobe Walter have received their share of criticism this season from fans and critics. It’s becoming increasingly clear that each of them is struggling to perform under limited minutes and heightened expectations. They’re very much rhythm players on a team lacking the runway needed for this kind of archetype to succeed.

And because of this, head coach Darko Rajakovic has no choice but to continue rolling the dice in hopes of hitting the number needed on any given night. But because Rajakovic views this part of his rotation more as a calculated gambit rather than a locked rotation, it means the Raptors must deal with the bad luck that come with dice rolls.

The group finished the first half with a combined eight points on 27.2 per cent shooting. There are flashes of intrigue, like Agbaji’s early offensive burst or his block on Norman Powell, but these fleeting moments are drowned out by a corner three air-ball or getting denied by the rim on a dunk attempt.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-s...career-nights-reveal-raptors-have-second-gear

 

[Toronto Raptors]

The post-holiday curse awaits the Raptors ahead of matchup vs. Wizards

Ever since the Toronto Raptors played the first Christmas Day on Canadian soil in 2019, the post-holiday season hasn’t been kind to the team.

Since that historic moment, the Raptors are 1-4 in their first game back from the holidays, with their lone victory coming against the Washington Wizards in 2023.

Despite the festivities around the NBA world coming to an end, the Raptors hope that the Wizards are the gift that keeps on giving ahead of their matchup on Friday.

Winning after the seasonal break isn’t a completely foreign concept for Toronto. Before the aforementioned 2019 Christmas Day game, the Raptors went 4-1 in their first matchup back from the break from 2014-2018.

The Raptors need to turn back the clock and pick up a victory in Washington before taking on a juggernaut slate of opponents waiting back in Canada for the upcoming five-game homestand.

With tip-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST on Sportsnet, here are three more storylines to keep an eye on.

It’s injury-bug season​

Both RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl are officially marked as out for the matchup. Barrett has missed 14 straight games since suffering a knee injury against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 23. Poeltl has sat out four of the last five contests due to a lingering back injury, with his only appearance being a nearly seven-minute stint against the Nets on Dec. 21.

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic will likely check back in on the volatile group of Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, and Ja’Kobe Walter, in hopes that one of them has a productive outing. But don’t be surprised if Rajakovic turns to Jamison Battle. The six-foot-seven sniper has struggled to earn a spot in the rotation but he’s reached double-digit minutes in six of the last eight games. At some point, the dam will break, and Battle’s skillset should prove too difficult to ignore.

Collin Murray-Boyles is coming off a career night against the Miami Heat, but if he misses the game (illness), the Raptors might lean on Jonathan Mogbo. Sandro Mamukelashvili also had his best game of the season in Miami and will be expected to keep his hot streak going in Washington.

There’s nothing magical in Washington​

Outside of John Cena’s retirement match, the Wizards have been the hardest thing to watch at the Capital One Arena this year. The roster construction is the envy of absolutely no one in the league, but injuries have derailed what could have been a surprise play-in contender.

After being traded to the Wizards in the off-season, Cam Whitmore was expected to thrive in a change of scenery, but he’ll miss his seventh consecutive matchup. Whitmore had been dealing with a shoulder injury and was also recently diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis.

Meanwhile, Corey Kispert finds himself back on the injury report after missing a month because of his thumb. Kispert returned against the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 23 and played 13 minutes, but he’ll miss the game against the Raptors with a tight hamstring.

The biggest surprise in Washington has been Alex Sarr. He was playing like one of the best centres in the NBA before having to deal with a toe injury and adductor strain. While Sarr has played in three of the last four games, the Wizards still have him on an injury management plan. Sarr is averaging 18.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 blocks.

Khris Middleton and Bilal Coulibaly have also returned from their respective injuries, but like Sarr, are being monitored by the Wizards’ medical staff.

Bub Carrington, who has been another standout this season, avoided an injury scare in the Wizards’ last game and should be available.

Scottie B Aggressive​

There’s no reason for a passive Scottie Barnes to exist on this iteration of the Raptors. If Barnes suits up against the Wizards (illness), it’s important that he starts aggressively and carries that mentality into the back-end of the opening frame or early in the second quarter.

When Barnes limits himself to a mere participant in the offence rather than spearheading the attack, the Raptors are an eyesore.

Barnes finished with less than 10 points in two games this season – against the San Antonio Spurs (Oct. 27) and the Nets (Dec. 21) – and both yielded embarrassing losses. He attempted seven shots against the Spurs and 10 against the Nets.

Barnes is averaging 19.9 points on 14.7 shots in wins this year.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-g...waits-the-raptors-ahead-of-matchup-vs-wizards

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors must rebuild their rep as elite home team, begins with Warriors

There used to be a feeling that coursed through the halls of Scotiabank Arena. Even when the faces changed on the court or on the sideline, that electricity remained.

Whatever it was, the aura eventually dissipated and the Toronto Raptors are either a victim of this new reality or the reason for it.

The Raptors have a chance to course correct, both in terms of their presence at home and in the standings, when they begin a five-game homestand starting with the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

While they’ve struggled at home in the last two seasons, Toronto spent the last decade building a basketball sanctuary on Canadian soil. The Raptors have only one losing season at home in the last ten years, accumulating a .627 win percentage. Their ‘worst’ of these nine seasons consisted of a 24-17 record in 2021-22.

This year’s iteration of the team is 8-7. A five-game stretch at home earlier in the season – a byproduct of the NBA Cup matchup against the New York Knicks – resulted in the Raptors going 1-4. Toronto has dropped five straight contests at home.

Ahead of the tip-off scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST on Sportsnet, here are three additional storylines to look forward to.

Still missing an anchor​

With Jakob Poeltl out, the Raptors will be without their starting centre for a third consecutive game, a part of a stretch that includes five of the last six matchups. Sandro Mamukelashvili has been spectacular as a fill-in starter. He’s averaging 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and nearly four three-pointers in the last four games Poeltl has missed. While Mamukelashvili’s inspired play couldn’t help the Raptors get past the Washington Wizards on Dec. 26, the team hopes that Collin Murray-Boyles potential return from illness will bolster the frontcourt. Murray-Boyles recorded the first double-double of his career against the Wizards, while setting a career-high in offensive (9) and total rebounds (12).

RJ Barrett is listed as questionable but he’ll likely miss his 16th straight game. Even if Barrett somehow returns to action, it wouldn’t surprise anyone for him be under some kind of minutes restriction. Toronto is 6-9 without the Canadian in the lineup.

Warriors rising or reeling?​

The Warriors plan to manage De’Anthony Melton’s knee injury, ruling him out ahead of their game against the Raptors. Melton came off the bench and scored 16 points in 24 minutes in their previous game, a 126-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Brandin Podziemski is listed as probable with an abdominal contusion. The third-year guard is producing the best shooting efficiency of his young career and continues to be an integral part of the Warriors’ bench.

Golden State has experienced a turbulent season up to this point. They’re currently enjoying a high – having won three games in a row – but their other out-of-character performances distract from the team’s success.

The Warriors have dropped games to the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and all three of their matchups against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The team is still a noteworthy player in the Western Conference post-season race. When the stain of their prior defeats is wiped away, a glimmer still shines through. It’s just a different kind of glow in comparison to the last few seasons.

Golden State is currently 20th in offensive rating, its worst ranking since 2020-21. They’re also 17th in pace, matching last year’s result. Where the Warriors are excelling is on the other side of the court. They’re currently third in defensive rating, their best ranking since the championship season in 2021-22, during which the Warriors were rated number one.

Who are the Raptors?​

While the Warriors are leaning on a different identity to stay afloat in the treacherous Western Conference, the Raptors seemingly shuffle between different personalities.

Toronto held the Miami Heat to a season-low 91 points on Dec. 23 and followed that up two days later by giving up 138 points to the lowly Wizards. Between opponents figuring out how to deal with their extended pressure and exploiting a lack of an interior presence, the Raptors haven’t been able to commit to an identity despite ranking seventh in defensive rating.

Outside of Scottie Barnes, a scrappy Jamal Shead who has been assigned too heavy a workload in his second year and an inexperienced rookie in Murray-Boyles, the Raptors don’t have defenders who visibly pop on screen.

The Raptors are a flawed offensive group, even when Barrett returns, and the defence must sort itself out if they want to remain ahead of play-in territory.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-g...eir-rep-as-elite-home-team-begins-vs-warriors

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors can’t follow up inspiring victory with letdown vs. Magic

The Toronto Raptors know a thing or two about sparking a flame before losing a fire to the winds of inconsistency.

After a nine-game winning streak, they dropped a game in overtime to the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 29. An 8-2 start at home was followed by five consecutive losses at the Scotiabank Arena. Most recently, Toronto’s defence held the Miami Heat to a season-low 91 points before imploding against the Washington Wizards in a 138-117 loss.

The Raptors put together a feel-good comeback victory in overtime against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday and have earned another opportunity to string together encouraging performances.

Next up in their five-game homestand is a matchup against the Orlando Magic on Monday.

The Magic serve as a realistic playoff opponent, should the Eastern Conference’s status quo remain intact.

With tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST on Sportsnet, here are X additional storylines to keep an eye on.

The offence appears ‘almost’ whole again​

Without RJ Barrett, the Raptors have looked lost on offence, particularly during stretches featuring Brandon Ingram or Scottie Barnes flanked by bench options. The Canadian wing returned after a 15-game absence and seemingly reinvigorated the team’s offence. Even before the overtime period, Toronto scored 122 points against the Warriors’ third-ranked defence.

Barrett finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while shooting 40 per cent from deep. He accomplished this despite playing on a minutes restriction. Barrett played 13 of his 23 minutes by halftime. It’ll be interesting to see if head coach Darko Rajakovic keeps Barrett under 24 minutes against the Magic.

Even with his limited run, Barrett changed the on-court dynamic and the starting lineup’s main weapons thrived because of it.

Scottie Barnes authored a historic night when he finished with 23 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists. It was the first 20 and 20 triple-double in Raptors history, and the second time in the last 40 years a player recorded a 20, 25, and 10 game. Barnes’ 25 rebounds also tied a Raptors single-game record.

Immanuel Quickley added 27 points, his best offensive output in a win since dropping 25 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 13. His comfort level as an off-ball shooter next to Barnes’ playmaking and Brandon Ingram’s scoring skillset is key to raising this team’s ceiling.

Does Orlando believe in magic?​

Due to injuries to key rotational players, the Magic are having trouble escaping the mud associated with .500 basketball. Jalen Suggs is doubtful with a hip injury and expected to miss his seventh straight game. Tyus Jones has filled in as a spot starter, but he hasn’t produced in the way the Magic coaching staff had hoped. Meanwhile, since Suggs went down with an injury, it’s been Anthony Black whose properly answered the call. Black is experiencing somewhat of a third-year breakout and recently scored 38 points in a 127-126 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Franz Wagner is also out due to a left ankle sprain. Wagner remains a significant part of the rotation and was averaging 22.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 24 games before his injury.

The two most obvious threats on the Magic are Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane. Banchero is experiencing some regression, particularly in his efficiency, but the season is young and he’s still a matchup threat at six-foot-10. In his first season with the Magic, Bane has finally rediscovered his form in December. He’s shooting 46.2 per cent from the field this month, which is up from November (44.7 per cent) and October (42.5 per cent).

Orlando is currently 7-8 on the road and 11-5 at home.

A shot in the dark​

The Raptors announced the signing of Mo Bamba to a non-guaranteed one-year deal. It’s not clear whether that means Jakob Poeltl’s back injury has worsened but Toronto is in dire need of a centre.

Bamba has floundered in the NBA since getting drafted in 2018. The seven-footer’s best season ironically came playing with the Orlando Magic in 2021-22. He finished the season averaging 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Bamba is a career 35.6 per cent shooter from three. His prowess as a shooting threat is the ideal skillset beside this team’s best scorers.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-g...ow-up-inspiring-victory-with-letdown-vs-magic

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors recapture 2019 thrill in historic comeback win vs. Warriors

Whenever the Toronto Raptors host the Golden State Warriors, there’s a palpable energy that surges through the building.

The obvious reason for the electric atmosphere is that these two organizations are forever connected after the 2019 NBA finals. It was a time defined by an impossible dream finally being realized for Toronto, while it marked the end of a dynasty in Golden State.

There’s also Stephen Curry. The 37-year-old is a superstar whose journey is nearing its epilogue. While he’s contributed nothing to the Raptors, Curry has always been considered as something of a “homegrown” type of talent by Canadian basketball fans. Curry grew up on the Raptors home court and there’s a bittersweet dread that one of his final appearances at the Scotiabank Arena is closer than anyone wants to admit.

Regardless of where the energy originated, it translated to the court and resulted in the Raptors defeating the Warriors 141-127 in overtime on Sunday.

For the Raptors, it was an opportunity to reintroduce Curry to an environment reminiscent of 2019 and a reminder to their fans of what is possible this year.

Here are four takeaways from what might end up being the win that turns the Raptors’ season around.

Rewriting the record books​

Scottie Barnes has always had a knack for elevating his play on a big stage. He’s been that way since his impressive playoff debut against the Philadelphia 76ers in his rookie season. With the lights glaring slightly brighter against the Warriors, Barnes finished with 23 points, 25 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals. It was the first 20 and 20 triple-double in franchise history. Barnes also tied the Raptors’ record for rebounds, a mark last set by Bismack Biyombo.

Barnes’ maniacal desire for second-chance opportunities (nine offensive rebounds) reloaded numerous possessions late in the final quarter and in overtime. Even while sharing the court with Curry, Barnes looked like the brightest star in the game.

“I come into every game with that mindset,” said Barnes. “I want to go out there, make an impact, and be the best player on the floor.”

Complete team victory​

In the search for wing production, particularly in the absence of RJ Barrett, the Raptors have resorted to throwing darts at a board, hoping one of their attempts lands on a suitable target. Against the Warriors, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, and Ja’Kobe Walter finally authored their best outing as a trio.

Hours before tip-off, head coach Darko Rajakovic explained what he was looking for out of his role players.

“It can feel like a demotion, but it’s not, learning what it takes to be successful in a role is not easy,” said Rajakovic. “There’s a learning curve to being a professional and to learning how to help your team every night.”

This afternoon, the Raptors auxiliary players were ahead of the curve.

Agbaji had a busy day chasing Curry on the defensive end. But it was his involvement on the offensive side of the ball that piqued interest in those who had given up on the fourth-year guard. With Curry guarding Agbaji, the Raptors forced Curry into six actions in the first seven minutes of the game. It resulted in eight points, with six going to Agbaji’s name. Multiple screening actions put Agbaji in position to attack the rim with momentum, with all of his points coming in the paint or at the free-throw line.

Curry had Agbaji in the proverbial blender, baiting the wing into multiple fouls. But it took Curry 30 shots to finish with 39 points. The Raptors made Curry work for it, and Agbaji played an integral role in that.

Walter finished with 18 points on 60 per cent shooting. It was his second consecutive game in double-digits after dropping 15 points against the Washington Wizards. On a team without reputation shooters, Walters’ efficiency and volume from the perimeter (6-for-11 in the last two contests) grant this team’s defence leeway to make chaotic plays on the other end.

While Dick finished with four points in 14 minutes, the 22-year-old was responsible for one of the most exciting plays on a night that featured countless thrills. While Toronto mounted a comeback near the end of the third quarter, Dick reached out for a loose ball and hurled it backwards over his head, ultimately leading to two points.

Don’t poke the bear​

The reason for the Raptors having to claw their way back into the game was the play of Draymond Green. The polarizing veteran finished with a season-high 21 points, with most of them coming from his four three-pointers. With Green shooting 32.4 per cent on 4.3 three-point attempts this season, Toronto’s defence continuously dared him to beat them from beyond-the-arc. Green made them pay with the most threes he’s hit since going 5-for-10 against the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 7.

The return of RJ Barrett​

After a 15-game absence due to a knee injury, RJ Barrett returned to action and immediately played a pivotal role. The Canadian finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists in nearly 24 minutes of action. Nearly 14 of his minutes came in the first half. Barrett was on a minute restriction and will likely be monitored before the second end of their back-to-back on Dec. 29.

Toronto went 6-9 during Barrett’s lengthy absence. His time away from the team helped solidify his importance, both within the organization and with the fans.

“Of course, I felt that and the team felt that,” said Barrett on whether there’s a better appreciation for what he provides on the court.

Barrett explained the frustration that came with missing the number of games he did. He’s never dealt with an injury like this. Barrrett leaned on support within his circle to recover physically and mentally.

“My dad told me everything happens for a reason so I tried to stay positive through it all,” said Barrett. “But it felt good to play tonight and help the team win.”

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-s...9-thrill-in-historic-comeback-win-vs-warriors