Keldon Johnson scored 23 points and Stephon Castle added 20 as the San Antonio Spurs overcame a 22-point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 125-118 on Sunday.
Scottie Barnes led all scorers with 35 points for Toronto. Jamison Battle contributed 25 points, while Jonathan Mogbo nearly recorded a triple-double with nine points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists.
San Antonio’s Harrison Barnes scored 18 points and Chris Paul 15 points, respectively. Both players and Julian Champagnie played in all 82 games this season. Castle, a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, added eight rebounds and six assists.
Toronto missed the postseason for the third straight year and fourth time in five seasons. San Antonio also missed the playoffs but finished strong. They had not reached the postseason since 2019, when they tied an NBA record with 22 consecutive appearances.
Game Takeaways
Raptors: Veteran wing Garrett Temple exited with a sprained left knee late in the second quarter after a collision with Spurs guard Malaki Branham. Temple left the game scoreless with one assist in under two minutes of play.
Spurs: At 39 years old, Chris Paul became just the third player in NBA history to play all 82 games at that age, joining Michael Jordan and John Stockton. Stockton accomplished the feat at ages 38, 39, and 40.
Key Moment
Keldon Johnson scored on a driving layup late in the third quarter, and seconds later, Blake Wesley stole the inbounds pass and found Johnson again for a quick bucket to tie the game at 91 with a minute left in the period.
Key Stat
San Antonio trailed 76-54 early in the third quarter and earned their second win after falling behind by 20 or more. The Spurs trailed by 20+ in 34% of their games and finished 2-26 in those contests.
Looking Ahead
Raptors: Wrap up the season with a 30-52 record, placing 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Spurs: Conclude their season at 34-48, finishing 13th in the Western Conference.
