RJ Barrett poured in a season-best 29 points and Brandon Ingram matched him with 29 of his own as the Toronto Raptors pulled away for a 134-117 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night in the opener of a two-game set.
Scottie Barnes added 20 points, and Immanuel Quickley finished with 15 for Toronto, which has now won five straight against Atlanta and three of its last four overall. Sandro Mamukelashvili contributed a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, along with a career-high eight assists.
Clinging to a one-point edge after three quarters, the Raptors seized control early in the fourth with a decisive 16-0 run. Barrett scored eight points during the surge, which pushed Toronto ahead 123-106 with just over seven minutes left. The Raptors improved to an impressive 17-1 this season when leading at the end of the third quarter.
Atlanta opened the fourth by missing six consecutive shots before Nickeil Alexander-Walker finally broke the drought with a 3-pointer. Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 31 points, while Jalen Johnson chipped in 30 and Dyson Daniels posted 20 points and 12 assists.
Fresh off a defensive showcase in New York a night earlier, the Hawks couldn’t slow Toronto’s attack. Atlanta has now surrendered at least 125 points in each of its last 10 losses.
Ingram was highly efficient, hitting 11 of 15 shots from the field, grabbing nine rebounds, and going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free-throw line. Vit Krejci scored 13 points for Atlanta, with Keaton Wallace adding 11.
The Hawks were again without Trae Young, sidelined with a bruised right quadriceps, while Toronto continued to miss center Jakob Poeltl because of a back injury.
Up Next
The Raptors and Hawks meet again in Toronto on Monday night.
