RJ Barrett scored 31 points, and Scottie Barnes made an impact in his return from injury with 17 points as the Toronto Raptors secured back-to-back wins for the first time this season, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-105 on Thursday night.
Chris Boucher contributed 22 points, while Jakob Poeltl recorded his fourth consecutive double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Raptors continued their home dominance over the Timberwolves, extending their winning streak against Minnesota in Toronto to 20 games.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 26 points, scoring 21 of them in the second half. Julius Randle added 23 points, while Jaden McDaniels finished with 22. Rudy Gobert had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Minnesota’s struggles in Toronto continued, with their last road win against the Raptors coming on January 21, 2004. During that game, Sam Cassell, Kevin Garnett, and Latrell Sprewell led the Wolves to a 108-97 victory.
Takeaways
Timberwolves: Minnesota’s last road victory over the Raptors was technically on February 14, 2021, when Toronto was playing in Tampa, Florida, due to COVID-19 border restrictions.
Raptors: Barnes played with protective eyewear in his return after missing 11 games with a right orbital fracture. He shot 5-for-11 from the field and contributed six assists in 27 minutes of action.
Key Moment
Trailing 95-92 late in the fourth, the Raptors responded with a decisive 13-1 run. Barnes fueled the stretch with six points, while Boucher kickstarted the surge with a 3-pointer. Barrett capped it off with an alley-oop dunk off a Gradey Dick assist, giving Toronto a commanding 105-96 lead with 2:33 remaining.
Key Stat
In the first half, Toronto struggled from the free-throw line, going just 5-for-9. However, they turned it around in the second half, making 24 of 30 attempts.
Up Next
The Timberwolves travel to Boston to face the Celtics on Sunday, while the Raptors embark on a four-game road trip starting in Cleveland that night.
