The Toronto Raptors capped off a strong night on the West Coast with a 110-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, stretching their win streak to three and completing a season sweep of the Blazers. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was gritty - and for a Raptors team still adjusting to new faces and missing key pieces, that’s the kind of growth you want to see.
Let’s start with Portland. Coming into the game riding a 9-2 stretch in the new year, the Blazers had been one of the NBA’s quietly hot teams.
But the injury list was long and impactful - Williams III, Avdija, Reath, Murray, Thybulle, and Henderson were all sidelined. That attrition showed early.
The Blazers managed just 12 points in the first quarter, their lowest-scoring opening frame of the season, and never fully found their rhythm.
Still, Shaedon Sharpe continues to shine in what’s becoming a breakout campaign. The Canadian guard brought his full offensive toolkit to the floor - slicing through defenders with speed, powering through contact, and showing off his shiftiness in tight spaces. He finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, and was Portland’s most consistent threat all night.
Toumani Camara gave the Blazers a much-needed lift from beyond the arc, and Donovan Clingan was a force on the glass, pulling down 16 rebounds to go with 13 points. But the Blazers just couldn’t string together enough stops or scores to keep pace with a Raptors squad that found its footing as the game wore on.
Toronto, meanwhile, had its own obstacles to overcome. Missing CMB, Walter, and Jakob Poeltl, the Raptors leaned on depth and pace to push through.
Early on, it was a slog. Despite generating good looks through solid ball movement, Toronto couldn’t buy a bucket in the first quarter, starting just 6-of-16 from the field.
They were also giving up too many second-chance opportunities, though Portland couldn’t capitalize, shooting a brutal 2-for-20 with four turnovers in the opening frame.
Immanuel Quickley set the tone early, fearlessly attacking the paint despite Clingan’s 7’2” frame looming inside. Quickley’s speed and touch allowed him to float in shots over the big man, scoring 9 of the Raptors’ first 12 points. Sandro Mamukelashvili - “Mamu” - knocked down a couple of threes in the first quarter as well, helping Toronto to a 19-12 lead after one.
The second quarter saw Portland settle in offensively, forcing a Raptors timeout and some early foul trouble for Scottie Barnes. With Barnes on the bench, Quickley and Mamu kept the offense afloat until Brandon Ingram finally broke through the Blazers’ defense.
Ingram was quiet early but began to find his spots, while Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett chipped in to close the half strong. Gradey scored on a drive, then drilled a three on the next possession.
Barrett added a putback to give Toronto a seven-point cushion at the break.
Both teams came out of halftime with better offensive execution. Portland showed a zone look and got some nice two-man action going with Clingan.
Ingram, meanwhile, looked like a different player in the third quarter - aggressive, confident, and in rhythm. He hit from midrange, got to the line, and found his groove.
The third quarter turned into a back-and-forth affair. Portland briefly tied it up, and Camara and Love gave them a spark, but Toronto always had an answer. Gradey and Ochai Agbaji were steady contributors on both ends, and a highlight-reel lob from Gradey to Ochai helped the Raptors maintain a slim lead heading into the fourth.
That’s when Toronto really took control.
The Raptors tightened up their perimeter defense and started getting easy looks on the other end. They opened the quarter with an 8-0 run, then followed it up with a 7-0 burst midway through the frame to keep Portland at bay. Jrue Holiday did his best to keep the Blazers in it, scoring from all over the floor, but every time he hit a shot, the Raptors answered.
Scottie Barnes, back in the game and locked in, was masterful in the closing minutes. His decision-making was sharp - finding cutters, hitting the open man, and picking his spots to attack.
Defensively, he was a menace. Barnes finished with six blocks, including two in the final seconds that slammed the door shut on any Blazers comeback hopes.
Mamu continued his strong stretch with a team-high 22 points, marking his second consecutive 20-point performance - the first time he’s done that in his career. Quickley (20 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) and Ingram (20 points, 7 boards, 3 assists) were right behind him, while Gradey and Ochai each chipped in 10 and did plenty of the little things that don’t always show up in the box score.
All in all, it was a solid team win for a Raptors squad still figuring out its identity. They weathered early shooting struggles, adjusted to Portland’s size, and leaned on their depth to get the job done.
Next up, the Raptors wrap up their road trip on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder - and yes, that means a showdown with Canadian superstar and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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