Darko Rajaković has already given Toronto Raptors fans a clear reason to believe this group can win in different ways. On Friday, the Raptors didn’t cruise. They dug in, handled a physical night in Washington and walked out of Capital One Arena with a 112-102 road win over the Wizards to move to 2-0 in the 2026-27 NBA season.
After Toronto opened the season with a 43-point blowout, this one asked more of them. The shots weren’t always there, but the response was. Rajaković pointed to that resilience after the game and stressed how important it is to keep finding paths to victory when the offense isn’t flowing cleanly.
“The fight in finding a way to win tonight was very important,” he told reporters.
The numbers told the same story. Toronto won the battle on the glass 53-40, pulled down 19 offensive rebounds and scored 52 points in the paint.
"The fight in finding a way to win tonight was very important."
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 24, 2026
Darko Rajaković speaks to the media following the Raptors' 112-102 win over the Wizards. pic.twitter.com/1iJxGCZhrX
Scottie Barnes paced the Raptors with 28 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. RJ Barrett added 23 points and nine rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard chipped in 16 points, nine boards and three steals in 28 minutes.
The bench did its part, too. Collin Murray-Boyles finished plus-21, and Ja’Kobe Walter was plus-19, giving Toronto a needed spark in a game that turned into a grind.
It was the kind of performance that underscored what Rajaković is building in his fourth season at the helm. He enters the year with a fresh multi-year extension and heightened expectations, and Toronto’s start has matched the optimism. The team’s high-movement offense rolled Chicago on opening night, but Friday showed another side: rebounding, defense and second-chance work can carry them, too.
The Raptors now get another early-season test on Sunday, when Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves come to town.
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Washington is also dealing with a notable absence, with key player AJ ruled out for the game, which adds another wrinkle to how the Raptors may choose to attack. Its the kind of early-season test that can reveal whether Torontos defensive work travels or whether the noise of the road starts to expose some of the same old vulnerabilities, and the matchup still tilts toward the Raptors if they handle it cleanly. [Read more 🡒]