The Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 129-99 on Wednesday.
With the victory, the team improved to 3-1 on the season and 1-1 in games without Kawhi Leonard.
Here are four takeaways and quotes after the win:
Where would the Raptors be without RJ?
“We can do an even better job of providing him those angles…but he’s very crafty and he plays in tight spaces…I thought he did a really good job tonight.” – Darko Rajakovic on RJ Barrett
There’s something about RJ Barrett’s game that can’t escape the relentless criticism from a specific portion of the Raptors fanbase. Even after hitting a Kawhi-like bounce that foreshadowed the return of his newest teammate, Barrett’s name is often included in hypothetical trades.
Contract and financials aside, no one on the team can replicate what Barrett does best: provide relentless pressure and pursuit that even Michael Myers would be jealous of.
When Toronto’s offence was stuck in molasses, it was Barrett who supercharged his play. After hitting a triple to cut the Magic lead to 19-13, he followed that up with an offensive putback on the next possession.
Barrett led all scorers with 21 points at halftime, matching his second-highest output through two quarters in his eight seasons in the league. Barrett’s career-high for points at the half remains at 30, which was recorded while playing for the New York Knicks on Feb. 25 in 2022.
Barrett proved himself as a playoff riser against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It makes sense that he elevates his game while Leonard is out of action. Barrett finished with 25 points on 50 per cent shooting.
No trick, all treat
“Today was the first day I was looking for my shot more…Offensively, I’m a liability when I don’t look for my shot.” – Jamal Shead on whether he needs to be more aggressive on offence
With the Raptors trailing 21-15 with just over four minutes left in the opening quarter, head coach Darko Rajakovic looked to his bench for answers, or at the very least, for a group capable of keeping them in the game until their offence recovered.
What emerged was the unique combination of Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead, Jamison Battle, Scottie Barnes and Trayce Jackson-Davis. The group was the jump scare Toronto needed to wake up from its slumber. An 11-2 run pushed the home team to a two-point lead and invigorated the Scotiabank Arena.
The most encouraging part was that production came from all five players and not just the known quantities. Jackson-Davis was an excellent screener and capitalized on his scoop shot after Shead dropped it off to him in the paint. The veteran was also a stabilizing force on the glass. Battle bounced back after his performance in Minnesota, finishing with seven points, while knocking down a left-corner three during this particular stretch. Defensively, Battle was playing with an infectious effort and hit the floor for loose balls. Shead had his best game of the young season and was a force on both ends. The backup point guard scored a season-high 13 points.
Orlando ultimately went 1-for-4 from the field and committed three turnovers before Rajakovic brought Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett back into the game.
Scottie returns to form
“I thought we just played our brand of basketball…we’re trying to play to our standards.” – Scottie Barnes on whether the team played a different way due to Leonard’s absence
After Barnes faced criticism for finishing with zero points for the second time in his career, there was understandably increased curiosity surrounding how the All-Star would approach this game, especially with Leonard out of action.
Whether it was by design or a product of what was available on the court, Barnes and the Raptors had an obsession with getting into the paint to begin the game. Barnes generated five consecutive paint touches, with one of them leading to a Quickley three-pointer. He didn’t take his first jump shot until the 7:23 mark. In total, the Raptors as a team attacked the paint on seven straight possessions.
Barnes was an absolute force once again, finishing with 28 points, six rebounds, four assists and five stocks (steals and blocks). For the Raptors to author a sequel to 2019, Barnes needs to be an automatic 20-point scorer while doing enough to cement his reputation as an All-Defensive mainstay.
Part of the sophomore experience
“For all of our guys, they come off the bench and are ready to go… they have something to prove and do well for the team, and they’re very much ready to do that.” – Rajakovic on the team’s depth
We’ve seen the Photoshop gems on X and the addictive edits on TikTok. Along with Leonard and Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles is often viewed as an integral part of the three-headed defensive monster. While it’s a compliment to be typecast as the “Dennis Rodman” of the group, Toronto can renovate its ceiling to impressive heights should Murray-Boyles grow as an offensive weapon.
Unfortunately, Murray-Boyles couldn’t get into a rhythm, particularly due to foul trouble. The defensive demon picked up two fouls in his first three minutes of action. He also committed three turnovers during this stretch. Early in the fourth quarter, Murray-Boyles picked up his fifth foul. At this point, he had seven points, two rebounds and three turnovers.
Thankfully, the Magic didn’t pose a permanent threat and Jackson-Davis was solid as a fill-in at the centre position.
Offensively, Murray-Boyles’ highlight of the night came in the form of a three-pointer from the top of the arc. Moments later, he attempted a second triple from nearly the same spot. The ball touched every part of the rim before bouncing out. During Raptors Media Day, Rajakovic expressed his preference for players to be more willing to take shots. Murray-Boyles finished 2-for-3 from the perimeter. It was the first time Murray-Boyles had attempted more than two three-pointers since Dec. 31 in 2025.
(@deuceworldx) 
