TORONTO – Tie game, 41.8 seconds to play and the Charlotte hornets have the ball on the sideline kitty-corner to the Toronto Raptors bench. They run the talented but erratic LaMelo Ball off a screen, enter the ball to him and hope he can turn the corner and finish a lay-up to give Charlotte the lead.
Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl slides over to contest the shot, which he does successfully, but in doing so he leaves giant Hornets rookie centre ryan Kalkbrenner wide open for an offensive rebound and putback. Kalkbrenner came into the game shooting a ‘must-be-a-mistake-but-it’s-not’ 81.8 per cent from the floor so far this season as most of his field-goal attempts have been coming on plays like this: uncontested putbacks or dunks.
This time, though, Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley, who was covering Ball on the play, sizes up the situation and times his jump perfectly to tap the ball out to a waiting Brandon Ingram, saving the home side from being down two with less than 40 seconds to play.
“I was just going whatever it took to win,” said Quickley (15 points, 10 rebounds, four assists) in a buoyant raptors locker room later.”At that point nothing else mattered other that trying to make a play, offensively, defensively, you have to make the play to win.That’s all I was worried about.”
That’s what the Raptors were worried about as a unit. But their concerns were well placed. Thanks to a remarkable sequence of plays in the final seconds, begining with Quickley’s unlikely tap-out, the Raptors were able to win a game that hung in the balance until the horn sounded, defeating the Hornets 110-108 at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.
One of the downsides (there aren’t many) of being one of the hottest teams in the NBA is Toronto has barely played anything resembling a close game. Coming into Monday night,they were 27th in the league in the number of clutch minutes – games where the winning team was up by five points or less with five minutes to play. Over their 7-1 streak before monday night,the Raptors’ average point differential was 11.9.
Even their five losses so far have been by meaningful margins.
how would they react? Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic was as curious as anyone.
“This is good for us. This is going to be a very good film for us to watch. I thought that we did some remarkable things there down the stretch – rim protection, blocking shots, coming up with some important rebounds,” he said. “It’s going to be good film for us to learn how we can close the game and better execute there.”
How the Raptors (9-5) got into such a close game against the Hornets, who start three rookies (albeit good ones) and were 4-10 by game’s end, will yield its share of material. Toronto led for the final 20 minutes of the game and held the Hornets to 42.5 per cent shooting while forcing 16 turnovers.
Scottie Barnes’ Clutch Block Seals Raptors’ Victory
Toronto, ON – 2025/11/18 11:19:12 – Scottie Barnes delivered a game-saving block at the buzzer, securing a hard-fought victory for the Toronto Raptors against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors extended their winning streak to four games and improved to 8-1 in their last nine, climbing to third place in the Eastern Conference.
The game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading leads throughout the fourth quarter.With the score tied and seconds remaining, Cavaliers guard Darius Sexton attempted a game-winning shot, extending every inch of his six-foot-seven frame to contest the shot.
It worked, but as the ball rolled off, Sexton grabbed the rebound in a scramble and quickly put up another shot before the horn. Barnes, however, was ready.The six-foot-eight Raptors forward blocked Sexton’s second attempt, sending the ball out of bounds as time expired. A review confirmed the clock had expired and Barnes’ block stood.
“I was watching to see who was going to get a rebound and the ball fell into [Sexton’s] hands,” said Barnes.”and that was kind of my man, and I didn’t box out, so I needed to go get the block.”
Barnes finished the game with 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists, showcasing his all-around impact. The final sequence was just one example of the Raptors’ resilience and smart playmaking down the stretch.
“all those reads there at the end of the game, that is the players,” said Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic. “That is them reading the game and making the right calls there.”
This victory isn’t just about improving the Raptors’ record; it’s about building confidence. The team is demonstrating an ability to win close games and make crucial plays when it matters most. This growing belief is a key ingredient for success as the season progresses.
Key Takeaways
- Scottie barnes’ clutch block secured the Raptors’ fourth consecutive win.
- The Raptors are now 8-1 in their last nine games and sit in third place in the Eastern Conference.
- The team’s ability to make smart plays and execute in crunch time is a positive sign for their future.
- Barnes’ all-around performance (16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) highlights his value to the team.