Gameday: Spurs @ Raptors, February 25th
After last night’s loss at the hands of an undermanned Oklahoma City Thunder squad, Toronto will be taking on another top-seeded western conference team in the San Antonio Spurs. Victor Wembanyama is having an MVP caliber season, and the Spurs have built a well-fitting, and versatile team around him, one that Toronto will have their hands full defending. Scottie Barnes is questionable tonight after suffering a quad injury against the Thunder, and if he doesn’t suit up, this game becomes 10x harder to win.
Raptors Outlook
Record: 34-24 | 5th in Eastern Conference
Offensive Rating: 113.7 (17th) | Defensive Rating: 111.8 (6th) | Net Rating: +1.9 (12th)
Without Scottie Barnes the Toronto Raptors defense obviously takes a massive nosedive. aBarnes is responsible for holding everything together, guarding at all levels of the floor, and covering for his teammates on the back end when they can not contain the ball. The duo of Barnes and Collin-Murray Boyles has been a key reason why Toronto’s defense has been as good as it’s been, they provide Toronto with a level of rim protection and versatility that helps keep things together. Without Barnes in the lineup, it will take a lot of stepping up from everyone else defensively to have a chance against the Spurs.
Offensively, Toronto needs to find synergy. They can not survive this game if their offense has one of their famous dry spells where nobody touches the paint, and nobody can force any rotations. Too often this has been the case. Toronto then gives up these huge leads, and then they try to fight back into the game, which doesn’t always work out. If the Spurs get a huge lead, they are not likely to cough it up to Toronto.
Spurs Outlook
Record: 41-16 | 2nd in Western Conference
Offensive Rating: 117.2 (7th) | Defensive Rating: 110.5 (3rd) | Net Rating: +6.7 (4th)
This defense, which is led by Wembanyama, is very suffocating. They have plenty of athletic guards who can hound you on the ball, and they have more room for error because they have the best defender in the NBA behind them. Even if you break past their point-of-attack defense, Wembanyama is waiting on the backline to challenge and alter shots.
Offensively they have a great cast of players who can create for themselves in Fox and Castle, and then Wembanyama is also a matchup nightmare. San Antonio can overwhelm you with their speed, and they also have plenty of shooting around that can punish ill-timed rotations. Toronto tends to send help on plenty of drives, and if they are not careful then San Antonio will burn them with their shooting.
Game Info
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. ET
Television: Sportsnet
Venue: Scotiabank Arena
Starting Lineups (Projected)
San Antonio Spurs
PG: De’Aaron Fox
SG:Stephon Castle
SF:Devin Vassell
PF: Julian Champagnie
C: Victor Wembanyama
Toronto Raptors
PG: Immanuel Quickley
SG: RJ Barrett
SF: Brandon Ingram
PF: Collin Murray-Boyles
C: Scottie Barnes
Injury Report
Toronto Raptors
Scottie Barnes (Quad) – Questionable
Jakob Poeltl (Back) – QUestionable
San Antonio Spurs
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
| Toronto Raptors | +7.5 (–115) | +250 | O 229.5 (-115) |
| San Antonio Spurs | -7.5 (-105) | -310 | U 229.5 (-105) |
Odds as of Feb.25, 12:00 a.m. ET
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