Raptors finally rest after difficult stretch

TORONTO – It's finally time for the Toronto Raptors to rest.

Head coach Darko Rajakovic told his players to get as much rest as possible before their next practice on Friday after Toronto went 1-6 seven games in 11 days. The latest loss may be the most painful, as Jalen Brunson scored 35 points as the New York Knicks routed the undermanned Raptors 117-101 on Tuesday in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals.

“It’s really important to just reset the mind, reset the body,” said Brandon Ingram, who led Toronto with 31 points against New York, including 17 in the first quarter.

“Look at these first 25, 26 games and see what we did well and what we didn’t do well and just try to adjust and fix it and try to get better.”

The Raptors' next game is against the Miami Heat on Monday, giving them a full five days of rest after a tumultuous 11-day stretch.

Rest will also be critical for point guard Immanuel Quickley and swingman RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont.

Both starters missed the Raptors' first-ever NBA Cup elimination game. Quickley was out with an undisclosed illness, while Barrett continues to recover from a sprained right knee.

“Seven games in 11 days. We definitely need it. We need to get better,” point guard Jamal Sheed said after scoring a career-high 18 points while starting in Quickley's place. “RJ, Quick, our whole team, we just need our bodies to be okay.”

Ingram also had seven assists and six rebounds as Toronto (15-11) lost its fourth straight game. Scottie Barnes had 13 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Shead, who was listed as questionable with a right quad bruise, had eight assists and three rebounds. Ochai Agbaji had three points in place of Barrett.

Toronto's lack of depth was exposed by the Knicks defense, and several Raptors bench players were held scoreless.

Throughout the season, Rajakovic said that every defeat is an opportunity to learn. He, Ingram and Sheed seemed to take the loss in the NBA Cup quarterfinals in stride as they spoke to the media after the game.

“It's difficult for young players to take on new roles, but it's a job, you know,” Rajakovic said. “I think this is a great learning opportunity for all of them.

“I thought we had a great spirit. I thought we competed the whole game. We just played against a better team today.”

Ingram echoed Rajakovic's sentiments, but looked at the season as a whole.

“One big lesson I've learned from the season is that we have little margin for error, especially when we have players in and out of the squad,” he said. “We had (Jakob Poeltl) out of the lineup. We had RJ out of the lineup. We had Quick today.

“So when guys come in and step up, we only have a little bit of margin for error in games, especially when we play really, really good teams.”

Karl-Anthony Towns, who was a game-time decision, had a double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds as New York (17-7) won its fourth straight.

New York will travel to Las Vegas to face the Orlando Magic on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2025.

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