As the days left in the regular season wind down, the Toronto Raptors took care of business Sunday evening at Scotiabank Arena, routing the Orlando Magic 139-87.
It’s a big win for the Dinos, in terms of how they did it and what it meant for the standings. Entering Sunday night, only two games separated the No. 5 seed (which the Raptors currently hold) and the No. 10 seed, with both Toronto and Orlando in the thick of things.
With the win over the Magic, the Raptors now have a three-game advantage and the tiebreaker over Orlando, effectively removing them as a threat.
They did it convincingly, with their 52-point margin of victory just shy of the largest in franchise history (53). They also recorded a team-record 20 steals and forced 28 turnovers, tied for their third-most ever.
The game also featured a 31-0 Raptors run, which was the largest unanswered scoring run by a team in the 30 seasons of play-by-play data. The previous NBA record was the Dallas Mavericks’ 30-0 run in 2023 (which somehow AJ Lawson was also a part of).
And they did it all of that without their leading scorer, Brandon Ingram, and starting point guard Immanuel Quickley.
Dominant.
Scottie Barnes was a big part of that dominance, dazzling with a career-high 15 assists to go along with 23 points, five rebounds, and three steals.
He also became the first player in the NBA to record 100+ steals and 100+ blocks this season and just the second player ever in Raptors history to do it (Oliver Miller).
Sandro Mamukelashvili was also fantastic, as in just five first quarter minutes, he jumped out with 11 points and was a +22. The 26-year-old finished with 19 points, four rebounds, three steals, and a +47, the third-best single-game plus-minus in Raptors history.
Overall, Toronto outscored Orlando 82-38 in the paint and 39-7 on the break, showing up in a big-time moment despite missing big-time players.
Toronto now has eight games remaining, with its next matchup scheduled for Tuesday in Detroit against the big and bad Pistons.
Notable performances:
Scottie Barnes – 28 MIN, 23 PTS, 5 REB, 15 AST, 3 STL, 9-14 FG, 2-2 3FG, 3-5 FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 30 +/-
RJ Barrett – 26 MIN, 24 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL, 8-14 FG, 0-4 3FG, 8-8 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 22 +/-
Sandro Mamukelashvili – 21 MIN, 19 PTS, 4 REB, 0 AST, 3 STL, 8-13 FG, 2-4 3FG, 1-1 FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 47 +/-
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When the Toronto Raptors traded for Brandon Ingram last February, the confusion from some corners of the NBA community (very much including the Raptors community) was loud. On top of questions about the team’s muddled competitive timeline, there were practical and aesthetic considerations around what the on-court product would look like. This team’s offensive identity under Darko Rajakovic had been built on pace, ball movement, cutting, and continuity, whereas Ingram was bringing with him a long history of high-viscosity hoops.
Despite making some subtle adjustments to facilitate better flow this season, that’s still largely who Ingram is as a player. His default setting is languid. Sometimes when the ball finds him, it sticks, and watching him gradually nudge those possessions along can be like watching someone try to coax honey out of an upturned jar.
