Quick Reaction: Raptors 103, Spurs 121
Immanuel Quickley
Very quiet first half after scoring relatively early in the first quarter, but he managed to knock down a deep three from Curry range before the break and then got to the free-throw line on the ensuing possession. He hit another long three late in the third quarter and had a solid night of playmaking for others as well.
Grade: B+
RJ Barrett
Decent start early on with the Raptors’ first bucket and a steal, but made a poor decision a few possessions later to double-team Harrison Barnes—who is no offensive threat these days—which led to a baseline cutter and uncontested finish at the rim. Came out with a burst of energy in the third quarter, scoring five quick points to cut a 19-point halftime deficit to 14.
Grade: A
Brandon Ingram
The only Raptor offence early on with the starting unit, as Ingram was the only one able to create space and find his shot. He was very quiet after a good first half as RJ took over the offence. Although Ingram has made strides defensively in Toronto, his defence wasn’t there tonight at all.
Grade: C+
Scottie Barnes
Quiet first stint highlighted by a poor foul on a three-point shooting Devin Vassell. Responded to the rest of the first half with strong three-point shooting, continuing his hot start from deep this season. Outside of that, it was a quiet night overall and his worst performance of the season so far.
Grade: D-
Jakob Poeltl
A nightmare matchup for Poeltl as he drew the Victor Wembanyama assignment, who dragged him out to the perimeter all night long. Poeltl actually did a good job staying in front of Wemby, but his inability to stretch the floor allowed Wemby to camp in the paint. That was about the only thing working for him tonight, as he committed a few bad turnovers and missed his usual push shot all night long. He went to the locker room late in the third quarter and was later ruled out midway through the fourth with lower back tightness, potentially explaining his poor outing.
Grade: F
Jamal Shead
Forced Harper into a double dribble early in his first shift. Showed nice chemistry with CMB in the pick-and-roll, leading to an assist and an and-one finish. Even better in the second half—knocked down a three-pointer and continued to show growth as a floor general.
Grade: C+
Gradey Dick
Short and quiet first shift in the first half, forcing up a contested three-ball—part of life as a shooter. That was it for Dick’s night, as he didn’t get another opportunity until garbage time with just over two minutes to go after a poor first-half showing.
Grade: F
Ja’Kobe Walter
Made an immediate impact with a great bounce pass to a cutting Brandon Ingram for a baseline finish. Active defensively, forcing two loose balls right away. Knocked down his first shot of the game with a three-pointer late in the third but immediately gave it back on defence, fouling Champagnie on a perimeter three.
Grade: D+
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Sloppy first half, missing a putback dunk attempt and losing his handle on a drive late in the second quarter. If the first half was bad, the second was even worse—though he did knock down a three-pointer earlier on.
Grade: F
Collin Murray-Boyles
Worked well as the pick-and-roll man early, creating good looks. Confidently took two early threes (making one). His hands were active all night, causing steals and deflections, and he played strong defence throughout. The only blemish was his free-throw shooting, but outside of that, you couldn’t ask for much more.
Grade: A+
Jonathan Mogbo
Garbage time.
Grade: N/A
Ochai Agbaji
Short and quiet first shift in the first half. Showed more urgency in the fourth quarter on defence and finished at the rim on offence. His fourth-quarter energy salvaged what was shaping up to be an abysmal outing.
Grade: D+
Jamison Battle
DNP.
Grade: N/A
Darko Rajakovic
Beautifully designed inbound play between Quickley, Barnes, and CMB around the 1:30 mark of the first quarter that led to free throws for CMB. Won his challenge in the third quarter as Toronto mounted a comeback, helping keep the momentum. The lack of a third centre option was obvious tonight, as both bigs struggled and left Darko without a reliable alternative.
Grade: C
Three Things:
1 Poor defending from Toronto (mostly in the first half), even though they forced 20 Spurs turnovers (mostly in the second half).
2 Poeltl’s late third-quarter injury and subsequent absence highlighted the team’s lack of centre depth.
3 The Raptors showed fight late, but inconsistent effort and poor execution early dug a hole too deep to climb out of.
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