Ja’Kobe Walter drilled a contested three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left, lifting the Toronto Raptors to a dramatic 114-113 victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night after nearly squandering a 12-point fourth-quarter lead.
Paolo Banchero was unstoppable for Orlando, pouring in 41 points—including 22 in the final period on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting performance. He briefly put the Magic ahead by sinking two free throws with five seconds remaining.
RJ Barrett led Toronto with 21 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, while Scottie Barnes contributed 17 points and 13 boards. Jakob Poeltl also finished with 17 points, and Immanuel Quickley added 15.
Franz Wagner scored 28 points for the Magic, who have now lost four straight and five of their last six—all at home.
The Raptors were without starting guard Gradey Dick, who sat out after suffering a knee injury in Sunday’s win over Orlando. The rookie, averaging 14.4 points per game, is expected to miss at least two weeks with a hyperextended and bruised right knee.
Takeaways
Raptors: Walter, a rookie out of Baylor, finished with 17 points as Toronto (20-42) improved to 7-23 on the road. The Raptors also won 104-102 in Orlando on Sunday.
Magic: Orlando continues to struggle, falling further behind Miami in the Southeast Division race and slipping to eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Key Moment
With just seconds remaining, the Raptors called timeout and advanced the ball to the frontcourt. Walter took the inbound pass, dribbled twice toward the middle, and created enough separation to launch the game-winning three over Tristan da Silva.
Key Stat
Despite committing 20 turnovers, Toronto dominated the boards with a 48-35 rebounding advantage and capitalized at the free-throw line, making eight more foul shots than Orlando.
Up Next
- Raptors: Return home to host the Utah Jazz on Friday night, kicking off a four-game homestand.
- Magic: Face the Chicago Bulls home on Thursday before heading out on a five-game road trip.
