We write it, we repeat it… The Raptors, like the Nets, are very difficult to maneuver, and last night, it was the Wolves who paid the price, beaten 110-105 by RJ Barrett's partners (31 points ). A habit for them since they haven't won in Toronto since January 2024!
However, Anthony Edwards and his partners thought they had said the most, by signing a 7-0 in the middle of the 4th quarter. Jaden McDaniels is unleashed, and the Wolves attack the home stretch with a five-point lead (93-88). Darko Rajakovic sends Scottie Barnes back onto the field, and the All-Star winger's aggression will change everything. Glasses on, he goes for free throws, but also finds Chris Boucher for the 3-pointer.
Wolves swept away by Raptors enthusiasm
The Quebecer's defeat is enormous, and he and Jakob Poeltl have the luxury of dominating the Randle-Gobert pair. It's the Raptors' turn to go 7-0 to take back control (99-95). Chris Finch's timeout does nothing, and it's Barnes again who goes for a dunk in a crazy atmosphere. Behind, RJ Barrett imitates him in the alley-oop after a nice pass from Gradey Dick (105-96), and the Minnesota coach immediately takes a timeout.
The Raptors have just gone 17-3 in three minutes, and despite the efforts of Edwards and Randle, the Wolves will not come back. They lost 110-105, and for the first time this season, the Raptors won two games in a row.
What to remember
Mythical jersey. It felt like we were in the 90s! The Raptors were in “vintage mode” or rather City Edition this night with a parquet floor and a jersey homage to the Vince Carter years. We can even see his number 15 on the jersey and the central circle.
Did you say “pet peeve”? Since 2004, the Wolves have not won in Toronto! At the time, the team was led by Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell and of course Kevin Garnett. In fact, the last time the Wolves dominated the Raptors on the road was in 2021, during the Covid pandemic. But at the time, the Raptors were not in Toronto, but in Tampa Bay…
The return of Scottie Barnes. After eleven games of absence, following a fracture of the orbital floor, the All-Star winger made a winning return with 17 points and 6 assists. Unsurprisingly, he had (nice) protective glasses, and his return in the 4th quarter was decisive.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
