TORONTO – Jalen Green drove to the net with 45 seconds left to play, going for a layup that would pull his Phoenix Suns to within two points of the Toronto Raptors.
But Scottie Barnes, making his case for NBA Defensive Player of the Year, followed Green to the rim and swatted the ball off the backboard. The block led to an RJ Barrett dunk at the other end of the court to put Toronto up 116-110.
Barrett had 22 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, as the Raptors rallied past Phoenix 122-115 on Friday. It was Toronto’s first victory over an opponent with a winning record since the Raptors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-101 on Jan. 25, a span of 19 games.
“That was insane, it was crazy. I was literally right there,” said Barrett of Barnes’s clutch block. “But those are the type of plays you need to win.
“Those are the type of plays that we haven’t been making lately, that we were making at the beginning of the season.”
Barrett, from Mississauga, Ont., also had six rebounds and five assists as Toronto (37-29) earned its fourth win in its last 10 games. The Raptors are seventh in the Eastern Conference, half a game back of the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat, with 16 games left to play in the regular season.
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Toronto is 4-18 against the top 10 teams in the NBA this season. Phoenix (39-28) has the 11th best win percentage in the league.
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“In a lot of these games, we have fought and just come short and this game, I felt like we fought all night long and that’s the result,” said Barrett. “That’s just the intensity that we’ve got to have.
“I think we were locked in, and we’re very focused on the assignments and focus on what we needed to do tonight.”
All-star forward Brandon Ingram led all scorers with 36 points, including five three-pointers, and pulled down seven boards for the Raptors. Ingram had a total of 42 points over his last three games before Friday night’s offensive outburst.
Ingram, who missed most of last season with a left ankle sprain, played in his 64th game. In 10 NBA seasons, he’s only played in that many games twice before: his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016-17 he played in 79 and he appeared in 64 in 2023-24 with the New Orleans Pelicans.
“You know, I haven’t played 64 games in a season for a very long time. But also, players are going to go through a rough patch throughout the season,” said Ingram. “It’s not going to be perfect all the time, and it definitely hasn’t been perfect for me, but it’s important to keep going.
“I can’t let my teammates see me with my head down.”
Barnes finished with 14 points and six rebounds, even though he was battling an illness.
“Scottie is all about the team, all about winning. He’s going through pain. He’s going through sickness at this time,” said head coach Darko Rajakovic. “He showed up big. He showed up to the game to try to give everything he’s got.
“He completely emptied the tank today to try to help the team.”
Rajakovic said the Raptors had a team meeting after Wednesday night’s 122-111 loss in New Orleans.
In the dying minutes of that game, Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray stood over Toronto reserve guard Jamal Shead, shouting at him, after nailing a three-pointer despite the Raptor player’s tight defence.
Only Toronto guard Immanuel Quickley seemed to stand up for the prone Shead, jogging over to Murray and confronting him.
Barrett was asked if the victory over the Suns meant more given that scene in the previous game.
“It’s a big time, big time win for us. We’ve hit a little rough patch, and wins like that are what we’ve got to do: scratch, claw, fight and get those wins,” said Barrett, who wasn’t on the floor when Murray flexed over Shead. “That’s who we are. It’s good to play like that and just remember what we’re capable of doing and going out there and getting the win.
“So proud of how the team played. Everybody came in, contributed, played well, so it’s a good one for us.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 14, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
