Remember your first time listening to the Beach Boys? Or maybe the first watch of episode one of The Sopranos? That moment of discovery when Brian Wilson’s high tenor and falsetto effortlessly fluttered across the orchestral backdrop of “God Only Knows” or when Tony gleefully ran down Mahaffey to “I wonder why” by Dion and the Belmonts.

Ok, we’ve got something here.

(Maybe I’m projecting my own favourites onto you, the reader, here. But feel free to insert the introductory moments to your own favourites above.)

The Collin Murray-Boyles experience was similar. It was apparent immediately that the burly first-year forward was going to be a game-changer.

In an ascendant rookie season, Murray-Boyles overcame injury and inexperience to effectively manhandle the opposition and buoy the Toronto Raptors when they needed it most.

Raptors Republic was ahead of the curve on Murray-Boyles before the draft and was high on him entering the season. Still, not even the most astute analysts among us could have predicted the preposterous impact he had on winning out of the gate, or the shape that impact took.

It starts with his defence. Murray-Boyles had the greatest defensive season by a rookie in Raptors history — no small feat for a team that rostered a rookie OG Anunoby who effectively guarded LeBron James in 2017-18.

That’s a subjective statement, but Murray-Boyles’ defensive playmaking, versatility, and sheer forcefulness were objectively exceptional. His 1.9 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game ranked third among rookies. He went from bodying up the likes of Joel Embiid and Victor Wembanyama to hanging in with Tyrese Maxey and Donovan Mitchell on the perimeter. And he did it with a level of success and seamlessness that was truly astonishing.

And even more than the preternatural hands that earned him the nickname “Magneto” or the ability to guard one through five, it was Murray-Boyles’ physicality that best translated to the NBA.

From our Samson Folk during training camp:

When I asked how his teammates respond to his physicality:

“They can’t do nothing about it. Cause it’s legal. They’re gonna complain. They’re gonna get better and learn from it. That’s what I wanna do.”

Opposing players couldn’t do anything about the now 21-year-old’s brutish strength either. Now watch these steals.

He was straight up mauling dudes. Taking lunch money.

This extraordinary might meant that Murray-Boyles also had the requisite husk to hang in with opposing centres when Jakob Poeltl went down for a 29-game stretch mid-season. And it was a good thing he did because otherwise the Raptors would have been screwed. The Raptors grabbed a higher percentage of defensive rebounds, allowed fewer rim attempts and a lower field goal percentage on the ones they did with Murray-Boyles on the floor; even with him playing as a significantly undersized centre for the bulk of his minutes. His ability to live in both worlds — both bang with the bigs and be an elite mover on the perimeter — allowed the Raptors to use unique defensive coverages. His rookie season was unique overall.

“A lot of intangibles, a lot of things he does on a nightly basis, how competitive he is, how hard he plays, just gave us confidence from Day 1 that he was going to be important player in the rotation,” Darko Rajaković said at his season-end press conference.

“His development over the course of the season was outstanding. Just always being able to react to any challenge that was thrown his way was awesome.”

Rajaković also spoke about what he learned about who Murray-Boyles is as a person off the court when meeting his former prep school teacher in Utah.

“Getting to understand who he is as a person and what he’s about just made me fall in love with this guy,” Rajaković said. “He’s an amazing human being, just cares so much about everybody. He’s somebody that we absolutely love over here. So lucky to have him in our program.”

All told, his regular-season stats wound up at averages of 8.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists over 57 games, earning him second-team All-Rookie honours.

This is burying the lede a little, but maybe the most meaningful part of Murray-Boyles season came in the Raptors’ seven-game first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. His game reached a new, difficult-to-fathom height as the then 20-year-old owned decorated Cleveland bigs Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the paint. His numbers jumped to 14.4 points, 6.4 boards, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks. A playoff riser. Plus, he was Toronto’s best defender aside from Scottie Barnes and was essential to the myriad ball-screen coverages they threw at Cleveland’s high-powered backcourt. They could not have effectively enacted the switch-to-blitz coverage that was instrumental in discombobulating Donovan Mitchell and James Harden without Murray-Boyles’ freakish ground coverage.

He set a playoff scoring record for a Raptors rookie with 22 points in their Game 3 win, had a 15-point, 10-board double-double as Toronto took Game 4, then helped put the Raptors in position for RJ Barrett’s shot in Game 6 with a 17-point, seven-rebound, five-stock effort. Murray-Boyles 73.8 percent shooting in the restricted area ranked fourth in the postseason (min 40 attempts).

To start the season, Murray-Boyles was slotted in with the wings/forwards at training camp, which tracked with his role in college, expectations, his skill set, and frankly, his physical proportions.

Murray-Boyles was immensely important to the Raptors in his first NBA season and only stands to be even more important in the future.

It took him only one game to find his footing. After looking awkward and putting up a zero in Game 1, Murray-Boyles went for 19 in Game 2. He also made six of his first 10 three-point attempts. The attempts petered out of the course of the season — he took only four over the final 16 games of the season and went 0-for-3 in the playoffs. But that was understandable, considering the thumb on his shooting hand appeared to be held on by tape.

He sustained thumb injuries twice, first on Dec. 15 against the Miami Heat and then again on Jan. 19 when Luka Doncic whacked the same thumb (CMB also blocked Luka three times in that game). It plagued him for the rest of the season.

Think about the way he battled through the pain to accomplish everything else — the Magneto hands, physical defence against bigger players, his deft scoring touch — and it only makes it that much more impressive.

When it comes to next steps for the offseason and beyond, Murray-Boyles accessing more of the driving game he possessed at South Carolina could add another dimension to his game as a scorer, outside of the duck-ins, rolling, cutting, and dunker-spot work he already thrived at. We already started to see him gain confidence getting downhill late in the season, and Rajaković spoke to its importance also.

“I think it’s very important for him to add a little bit of a face-up game,” Rajaković said. “So he can attack at the rim off the dribble, one two dribbles. He can come off DHOs, turn the corner.

“He’s not shying away from those moments, he’s not shying away from a challenge … The more we’re putting on his plate for his development he’s going to be more excited and he’s going to embrace that,” Rajaković added.

To start the season, Murray-Boyles was slotted in with the wings/forwards at training camp, which tracked with his role in college, expectations, his skill set, and frankly, his physical proportions.

And while Murray-Boyles profiles as another non-shooter alongside all-star forward Scottie Barnes, the pair proved they can achieve unique success together as a vice-grip defensive unit whose additive strengths outweigh their weaknesses.

“I wonder what a team of 12 CMBs and Scotties would look like,” Rajaković joked, before adding: “I do think that those two compliment each other really well.”

Murray-Boyles was immensely important to the Raptors in his first NBA season and only stands to be even more important in the future. And the very best parts of the CMB experience lying undiscovered on the horizon is a truly exciting prospect.

The post Collin Murray-Boyles’ transcendent rookie season for the Raptors first appeared on Raptors Republic.

The post Izzy Harrison Gets Ejected vs. Angel Reese, Tempo Fall Apart vs. Dream | Full Game Recap + Analysis first appeared on Raptors Republic.

And for a second consecutive game, that task proved too much to handle.

While the Tempo were nearly able to overcome their size disparity against the Washington Mystics, the same could not be said on Sunday as they fell 102-77 to the Atlanta Dream.

Head coach Sandy Brondello said pre-game that it would require tons of “energy” to contain the frontcourt of Angel Reese and Naz Hillmon, and it was clear right away that her players tried to heed the words of their bench boss.

The Tempo packed the paint, stepped into gaps and were a unit attached together on a string defensively in the opening frame. And although it didn’t result in an abundance of turnovers, it limited the Dream to a lowly 6-of-25 shooting start as they trailed 25-13 after 10 minutes.

A feat made even more impressive considering Nyara Sabally was sidelined for a second consecutive game due to a hamstring injury. Instead, it was Isabelle Harrison tussling with Reese down low, holding the Dream star to just 1-of-7 shooting in the first quarter, eating up many failed attempts to drive up to the rim. And Harrison didn’t stop there, adding nine points in the opening frame with two made threes that came after she backed Reese into the post for a finish up close.

A double-digit lead that was short-lived, however, as the Dream opened the second quarter on a 17-5 run to swiftly tie the ball game. Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko made note of Toronto’s ability to push the pace and catch teams flat-footed (second in fastbreak points), and his team decided to use that formula against the Tempo to mount a comeback. The Dream ran up and down the floor to the tune of 11 unanswered fastbreak points in the quarter — plus-15 for the half — as the Tempo struggled to keep up and ultimately trailed 47-39 at halftime.

That wasn’t before more action between Harrison and Reese, who were jawing back and forth for chunks of the second quarter. It began with Harrison getting called for an offensive foul and Reese swiping the ball away, and then continued when Reese was whistled for a turnover the other way. All of which was backdropped by the 8,210 in attendance at Coca-Cola Coliseum, eating up all the drama and spitting up their loudest roars. And it’s safe to say Harrison led the contentious battle between opposing forwards through 20 minutes, with a team-high 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting — including a nice curling turnaround finish over Reese, who went into the locker room with just three points on 3-of-10 shooting.

Momentum that was quelled unspectacularly after Harrison was assessed a flagrant 2 foul midway through the third quarter for wrapping up and taking down Reese under the basket, and was subsequently ejected from the game. With the Tempo’s top performer and lone double-digit scorer to that point now watching from the locker room, the Dream carved out a 70-59 lead headed into the fourth quarter.

Toronto did get a brief spark thanks to back-to-back threes from Marina Mabrey and Julie Allemand, as the pair combined for 12 points in the third, but Rhyne Howard responded with a triple of her own before the buzzer to keep Atlanta up double digits.

The Tempo did manage to cut the deficit back down to single digits at various points in the fourth quarter, first on an Allemand above-the-break triple, and then a Conde fastbreak layup, but they got no closer than that as the Dream kept responding in kind.

Underscoring the Tempo’s second consecutive loss was the lack of offensive production from the team’s “all-star level players,” as described by Smesko pregame.

The duo of Mabrey and Brittney Sykes combined to score just 20 points on 7-of-23 shooting, just two nights after pairing up for 47 points against Washington.

“Even when (Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey) don’t get easy stuff, they’re capable of making really difficult plays,” the Dream head coach explained. “But that’s what you have to live it. You have to make them hit tough shots, off-balance, pressure, hand in the face without fouling.”

And so that’s exactly what Atlanta did, loading up on the million-dollar backcourt, as Toronto’s role players — outside of Harrison — struggled to make the strategy pay.

Up next

Action resumes on Tuesday as the Tempo close out their Commissioner’s Cup schedule by visiting Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever to tip off a three-game road trip.

Atlanta Dream

102 – 77

Toronto Tempo

A	Isabelle Harrison 19 MIN, 17 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 6-11 FG, 2-5 3FG, 3-3 FT, 2 BLK, 3 TO, -10 +/- Describing Izzy Harrison’s effort as gutsy would be an understatement. She battled with the Dream’s frontcourt players all night despite the absence of Nyara Sabally, and made Angel Reese’s night a long one. From walling off drives and post ups, to attacking the two-time all-star on the other end, Harrison met the moment, which made her ejection that much more unfortunate. It sucked the life out of the building and the Tempo’s comeback hopes.
C-	Laura Juskaite 26 MIN, 5 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 2-7 FG, 0-2 3FG, 1-1 FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, -16 +/- Not a particularly efficient night but a slick layup off a fake handoff was the loudest basket of the night for the Lithuanian rookie. She passed up a couple of threes early and it laid the foundation for a largely quiet performance.
C-	Brittney Sykes 35 MIN, 11 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 0 STL, 5-12 FG, 0-2 3FG, 1-2 FT, 1 BLK, 4 TO, -19 +/- A tepid game for the Tempo’s top scorer, who was kept in check for much of the night aside from the occasional contested pull-up or blowby layup. It was as much about the fact she took just 12 shots, which was well below her season average, as it was about the lacking efficiency. Slim settled into a facilitator roll for chunks of the game and played into how the Dream’s gameplan.
C	Marina Mabrey 27 MIN, 9 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 2-11 FG, 2-7 3FG, 3-3 FT, 1 BLK, 1 TO, -12 +/- Heading into the game, Dream head coach Karl Smesko said the goal was to live with Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes taking “tough shots” and that’s exactly what his team did. The Tempo’s sharpshooter was hounded relentlessly everytime she touched the ball, struggling to carve out enough room to get clean looks off. She was strong on the glass early, doing her part, but eventually put the blinders on looking for offence and the impact didn’t follow. Her best stretch of shot-making came in the third with a pair of pull-up threes, but that where it started and ended.
B+	Julie Allemand 34 MIN, 13 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 5-8 FG, 3-5 3FG, 0-0 FT, 2 BLK, 0 TO, -24 +/- One of Julie’s better outings from an offensive aggression standpoint. She was much more willing to drive and let off her layup attempts and even got involved as an off-ball shooting threat, stepping into a right-wing three for the game’s first basket. And it’s clear team’s aren’t accustomed to her playing off the ball and she can take advantage of that, like when she cleaned up her own miss out of the left corner and than promptly zipped it back inside to Maria Conde for the finish.
C+	Maria Conde 25 MIN, 12 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 0 STL, 4-9 FG, 1-2 3FG, 3-5 FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, -12 +/- It was a generally quiet game for the Spaniard until the fourth quarter, when she scored a pair of loud buckets for the Tempo. First a fastbreak layup off a Laura Juskaite steal and then finishing up close through the contact. Conde’s offence has been a mixed bag for a couple of games, but she’s found moments to provide some much-needed energy. Now it’s about extracting that over longer stretches.
B	Teonni Key 6 MIN, 0 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 1 +/- The rookie found success in her brief stints, not letting the intensity of the matchup get to her. She forced a couple of stops early and than made her biggest play of the game in the fourth quarter, blocking a Madina Okot layup. She may be in Year 1, but Key is making a case to eat into more minutes moving forward for a frontcourt that sorely needs a reliable third big.
C-	Temi Fagbenle 17 MIN, 7 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 3-5 FG, 0-0 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -13 +/- It continues to be a rough ramp up for the veteran in her return from injury. Temi Fagbenle deserves some grace as coming back from a month off to take on two of the better frontcourts in the WNBA is no easy task, but the Tempo simply require more from her defensively especially after losing Izzy Harrison to injury and already without Nyara Sabally. Instead, she laid down a red carpet for Angel Reese to walk on, erasing what impact she did have on the offensive end.
C	Kia Nurse 8 MIN, 3 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 1-1 FG, 1-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -8 +/- Brief stint for the vet, but she nailed an early three and let Madina Okot hear about it on the way back down the floor, which provided a nice boost of energy.
Inc	Tima Pouye 4 MIN, 0 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 0-1 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, -12 +/- Garbage time.
C	Sandy Brondello Would have liked to see more emphasis on freeing up Slim and Marina, but that can be easier said than one. Turning to Teonni Key sooner may have been worth considering as well given Temi Fagbenle's struggles, but she continues to have to adjust her lineups on the fly and deserves some grace in that aspect.

Things we saw

1. This may come across as bias but the flagrant 2 call on Izzy Harrison felt like major mismanagement on the officiating. They let tension between the two bubble for extended periods instead of dishing out a couple technicals to squash it early. Had Harrison's foul not been after extending jawing and rising tensions, a flagrant 1 would've made plenty of sense, and even then it still probably didn't warrant more. A play on the ball? Not entirely. Malicious? Absolutely not.
2. The Tempo drop to 2-3 in the Commissioner’s Cup, very much out of the running to represent the Eastern Conference in the championship game, but at least that’s another $1,000 towards Layup Youth Basketball.

The post Quick Reaction: Tempo 77, Dream 102 first appeared on Raptors Republic.

Samson Folk is joined by James Bu to discuss two dark horse draft candidates for the Raptors at pick 19.

From Brendan’s latest on Steinbach:

“For a team lacking a strong, interior rebounding presence, Hannes would fit like a dream as a core future piece of the Raptors.

Hannes’ motor, rebounding, and pick-and-roll feel would complement Scottie Barnes nicely as both are high-IQ forwards who play with physicality and can operate as short-roll connectors. The Raps’ player development (which turned CMB into a near-immediate contributor) could also help him max out his potential as a shooter. While the Raptors have struggled at actually developing shooting, they seem to have more success with players who join the team already possessing some established shooting skills, like Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.

The Raptors would still need to address multiple concerns that Hannes simply can’t provide, such as advantage creation, guard play, and a more advanced shooting profile, but he would be a great brick to lay in the team’s growing foundation.

I would be surprised if Hannes falls to the 19th pick, but there are a lot of draft pundits out there who seem to think he may be falling from his mid-season consensus as a lottery lock. If he does fall to the 19th pick, the Raptors really shouldn’t think twice to add another versatile piece to their frontcourt.

Steinbach’s efficient offence, domineering physical profile, and elite rebounding project him to be quite impactful, even if there are some things he’ll need to work on.

Consensus NBA Draft Range: 12-20

Brendan’s Ranking: 15th

Floor Projection: Rebounding force who can shoot the occasional three in key backup minutes. Uncertain role projection could keep him from becoming a fully impactful starting player.

Median Projection: Possession generating, floor spacing, starting big in the style of Bobby Portis/Jalen Smith, with the physical rebounding juice of Steven Adams.

Ceiling Projection: Domantas Sabonis with an edge/Minnesota Kevin Love.”

Have a blessed day.

The post Raptors Draft Dark Horses: MELEEK THOMAS & QUADIR COPELAND first appeared on Raptors Republic.

Although I just touched on how he has always been this clutch, the Raptors decided to move on from OG Anunoby in 2023, trading him alongside Malachi Flynn, and Precious Achiuwa to the Knicks in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 Detroit second-round pick that eventually became Jonathan Mogbo. Anunoby had been pining for more offensive responsibility, and the Raptors were pining for cheaper contracts.

Let’s start the analysis off with the Knicks. The two other pieces sent to the Knicks have since both left in free agency; Flynn would bounce around a few different teams before signing with the Bahçeşehir Koleji of the Basketbol Süper Ligi in Türkiye, while Precious Achiuwa would walk following the 2024-2025 season and sign a one-year veteran minimum deal with the Sacramento Kings. (Where he did almost single-handedly give Toronto one of its worst losses of its season.)

However, Anunoby has been a major bright spot on this team. His 3-and-D style has been great for the Knicks this series, going 5-5 from beyond the arc in the second half of Game Four alone. As mentioned in my previous analysis of Anunoby’s clutch shot, Anunoby served as the perfect player to kick out to in multiple moments during the second half.

Not to mention his defence. He is one of the most versatile and impactful defenders in the league from the wing spot, and his clutch blocks on De’Aaron Fox have been just as impactful as his shooting in these Finals.

Shifting over to the Raptors, they got a lot out of Anunoby, who was a high-value piece on a team that wouldn’t even crack 30 wins by the end of the year. This allowed them to gain value on a young forward and completely restart from the ground up, and a few years later, make the playoffs.

In that deal, the team got both its starting small forward and point guard in the deal — who have played some of their best basketball since arriving in Toronto, despite dealing with some injury concerns. Barrett especially has changed his game as a Raptor. Mogbo has mainly served as a bench player since arriving in Toronto, but he did start in 18 games in his first year.

And Barrett, of course, had a game-winner of his own this season.

All in all, I think both teams got a pretty good return out of this deal. The Knicks got a player that would become highly effective in their first Finals run since 1999, and the Raptors were able to begin a complete rebuild by getting two pieces of their core.

The post Revisiting the Raptors-Knicks Anunoby trade after his Finals game-winner first appeared on Raptors Republic.

The post Mystics ruin Marina Mabrey’s ELECTRIC Fourth Quarter and Tempo Comeback | Full Game Recap + Analysis first appeared on Raptors Republic.

Marina Mabrey almost changed the game with a late push that saw her make four clutch threes in a row and a total of 18 points over the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to silence the Washington Mystics.

Sonia Citron nailed a buzzer-beater jumper to seal the deal 86-85 for the Mystics in a game that should have never been that close after how poor of a showing the Tempo gave in the third quarter.

Throughout the game, Toronto struggled to protect the ball. The difficulty began with 12 turnovers in the first half. Then, the Tempo went almost 13 minutes without a rebound from the end of the second and into most of the third. The Mystics’ size was a factor but could not be the sole reason they captured 39 rebounds to Toronto’s 21 throughout the game.

In contrast, the Mystics came out of the half strong and went on a 12-0 run that captured the lead and took the Tempo by surprise. Toronto struggled to recover against Washington’s momentum and didn’t find their own points until they switched up the lines to lean more on bench help.

It was a physical game from both teams, with Laura Juskaite and Temi Fagbenle both struggling with committing fouls. In Fagbenle’s first three minutes on the floor, she tallied three personal fouls, after which she had to spend some more time on the bench.

It was the Tempo’s first opportunity to string together three straight wins, but despite a dramatic comeback in the fourth, they couldn’t pull it off. Toronto is now 2-2 in Commissioner Cup play.

Toronto Tempo

85 – 86

Washington Mystics

B	Isabelle Harrison 28 MIN, 8 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 4 STL, 4-7 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 9 +/- She was a needed matchup against the Mystics in the paint. Her size was important and her four steals made a difference in helping the Tempo.
B-	Laura Juskaite 23 MIN, 8 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 2 STL, 2-6 FG, 0-3 3FG, 4-4 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, -9 +/- Laura Juskaite has been building her confidence in all parts of the game. She did struggle with controlling her defence though and committed four fouls.
A-	Brittney Sykes 31 MIN, 20 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 7-14 FG, 1-2 3FG, 5-6 FT, 1 BLK, 5 TO, -5 +/- Slim carried the Tempo’s offence in the first half but cooled down in the second. She was nearly unstoppable when attacking downhill but struggled on defence with the size mismatches.
A	Marina Mabrey 28 MIN, 27 PTS, 1 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 9-15 FG, 5-10 3FG, 4-4 FT, 0 BLK, 4 TO, -4 +/- Mabrey struggled with her three-point shooting to start and didn’t quite have the impact Toronto needed on offence—until she turned it on in the final minutes. By then, though, it was too late.
A-	Julie Allemand 26 MIN, 9 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL, 4-5 FG, 1-2 3FG, 0-0 FT, 1 BLK, 2 TO, 15 +/- Literally the floor general for the Tempo. Allemand’s speed and pace dictated how the rest of her teammates showed up, and in moments when the game began to look hopeless for Toronto, her tough defence helped turn things around.
B	Maria Conde 22 MIN, 7 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 3-7 FG, 0-2 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 7 +/- Conde was an important part of changing the momentum in the second half. Conde had success on defence despite the size differences.
C	Teonni Key 15 MIN, 2 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL, 1-2 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 2 BLK, 0 TO, -9 +/- The rookie's blocked shots and steals were critical defensive contributions, but she could have had a greater impact in the paint.
B-	Temi Fagbenle 8 MIN, 0 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 0-2 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, -6 +/- This was Fagbenle's first game back since the season-opener on May 8, which was also against the Mystics. She had some timidness to her game on offence and struggled to control her physicality.
C+	Kia Nurse 3 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 0-1 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -3 +/- Had minimal impact with the few minutes she played.
B+	Tima Pouye 17 MIN, 4 PTS, 0 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 1-5 FG, 0-2 3FG, 2-2 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 +/- Pouye was feisty on defence and a good decision maker with the ball. She’s had limited minutes since joining the team, but made them count in this one, especially in the end of the third quarter when the Tempo needed a new breath of life.
Inc	Sandy Brondello Coach did a good job of switching up the lines and leaning on the bench strength when things were not going right for the starters. However, while halftime needed to be a turning point for the Tempo, it turned the tides in the opposite direction.

Things we saw

1. The importance of rebounding. Toronto needed to go after the offensive and defensive boards with more desire and grit. Second chance points proved a big factor for Washington and the Tempo never had those opportunities.
2. Marina Mabrey is money. Even when her shots hadn't been falling in the first half, she found a way to turn it around in the fourth quarter where her 18 points almost flipped the outcome.

The post Quick Reaction: Tempo 85, Mystics 86 first appeared on Raptors Republic.

 The comeback was capped off by former Raptor OG Anunoby, who tipped in the go-ahead basket with just 1.2 seconds left to give New York a 107-106 lead. It reminded us of some things from long ago.

The NBA has given us plenty of memorable playoff comebacks over the years, and this latest one got me thinking about some of the biggest rallies in Raptors playoff history. Here are my top three.

3. OG Anunoby’s buzzer-beater vs. Boston Celtics (Game 3, 2020 Eastern Conference Semifinals)

As it turns out, Anunoby has a habit of coming through in big moments. The Raptors entered the 2020 playoffs as defending champions, but there were plenty of questions surrounding the team after Kawhi Leonard left for the Clippers. Could Toronto still compete without the player who had led them to their first title?

Well…it looked like maybe not as things didn’t start well against Boston. The Celtics won the first two games of the series and it looked like there was no slowing them down. However, Toronto was poised to show off their championship pedigree.

Toronto trailed by ten at halftime of Game 3 and spent most of the night trying to claw its way back. Late in the fourth quarter, the Raptors finally pulled even when Fred VanVleet scored on an acrobatic tough layup to tie the game at 101 with 21 seconds left.

Sadly, on the ensuing drive it looked like their season was probably coming to a close. After a defensive breakdown featuring Pascal Siakam, Celtics’ Daniel Theis threw down a dunk with 0.5 seconds remaining, putting Boston ahead by two. Most teams would have accepted defeat at that point…but like I said the Raptors are not like most teams.

After a timeout, Kyle Lowry delivered one of the greatest inbound passes in franchise history, lofting the ball beautifully over Tacko Fall and finding Anunoby in the corner. OG caught it, rose up and buried the three as the buzzer sounded.

The fact Toronto eventually lost the series in seven games is probably the only reason this comeback doesn’t rank higher.

2. Largest playoff comeback in franchise history vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 5, 2016 Eastern Conference First Round)

The Raptors came into the 2016 playoffs carrying plenty of baggage after back-to-back first-round exits.

Their series against Indiana was tied at two a piece heading into Game 5, and things looked ugly for Toronto early. The Pacers built a 17-point lead and still held a 13-point advantage entering the fourth quarter.

At that point, the Raptors hadn’t led once all game. However, what followed was one of the best defensive quarters the franchise has ever played.

Toronto completely shut down Indiana, contesting every one of the 15 shot attempts the Pacers took in the fourth quarter. The Raptors opened the frame on a 21-2 run and suddenly had a six-point lead.

Still, Toronto had to fight until the very end. Indiana had one final chance to force overtime when Solomon Hill knocked down a three at the buzzer, but replay showed the shot came just after time expired. A millisecond too late.

The Raptors escaped with a 102-99 win and completed what still stands as the biggest playoff comeback in franchise history.

1. Kawhi Leonard takes over vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Game 6, 2019 Eastern Conference Finals)

This one sits at the top because of what was at stake. 

Toronto entered Game 6 with a 3-2 series lead after recovering from an 0-2 deficit against the Bucks. A trip to the NBA Finals was on the line and let’s just say Milwaukee wasn’t making it easy.

The Bucks led by as many as 15 points late in the third quarter and looked ready to send the series back to Wisconsin for a Game 7. The only issue for Milwaukee was that Kawhi leonard had other plans.

Leonard put the Raptors on his back and helped spark a massive 26-3 run. The run started with a tough and-one over the outstretched arm of Brook Lopez and ended midway through the fourth quarter when Leonard drove down the lane and threw down a monster dunk over Giannis Antetokounmpo, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

By the final buzzer, Leonard had 27 points and 17 rebounds (I guess board man does in fact get paid) as the Raptors secured a 100-94 win and punched their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. A few weeks later, they were NBA champions.

Final thoughts

The Raptors have produced a lot of memorable playoff moments over the years, but these three comebacks stand out for different reasons.

Whether it was Anunoby’s miracle shot in the Bubble, the franchise-record rally against Indiana, or Leonard’s takeover against Milwaukee, each comeback felt like a defining moment for that particular Raptors team.

Hopefully there are still a few more playoff comebacks waiting to be added to the list in the years ahead, especially with Toronto looking to take the next step in the right direction.

The post A look back at the 3 greatest Raptors playoff comebacks first appeared on Raptors Republic.

Let’s start off with his 3-and-D style of play. Throughout the entirety of game four, OG shot 7-for-9 from three, going 5-5 in the second half alone. If you want to get even more specific, Anunoby went 2-2 in the fourth quarter. Even going outside of the three-ball, his knockdown shooting paired perfectly with Jalen Brunson, who could kick out to him when needed while attempting to drive to the basket. Interesting note: both Brunson and Anunoby combined for 36 points in the second half, with Anunoby (19) being the majority of it.

Moving to the other half of the court, his defence is still just as magnificent as it was when he was with the Raptors- putting up 4 rebounds, a steal, and a block. I’ll talk about this more later, but his defence is what saved this game for the Knicks; with 11 seconds remaining, De’Aaron Fox snatched up a loose ball and was looking to take it down for an easy layup. However, Anunoby tracked it down in transition (something Sportsnet notes has been a consistent upside for him all series) and got the block to keep the deficit at 1. The following play?

Well… We know what happened.

Moving on to the now-famous tip, it was something that brought Raps fans back to the time when the team was looking to claim a second straight title. Back in the bubble (remember those days?) during the Raps’ second-round series against the Boston Celtics, Anunoby cut along the baseline to get wide open (seriously), received an absolute Hail Mary inbound pass from Kyle Lowry, and hit the last-second buzzer beater to make the series 2-1. Adding onto that, Anunoby was only 22 when he hit that shot, and is still only 28.

This now-widely publicized “always cool” mentality has been there since the beginning (shoutout to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen) and is something that both Raps and now Knicks fans get to cherish. With Anunoby being 28, and there still being more games left in these finals (unless the Knicks clinch in five), I’m looking forward to Anunoby making plenty of clutch last-second highlights and being able to call back to the moment he did it for the Raptors.

The post OG Anunoby’s clutch Game Four miracle proves what Raptors’ fans already knew first appeared on Raptors Republic.

Toronto Raptors extend and promote Bobby Webster

The Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) announced on June 8th that they have agreed to a multi-year extension with general manager Bobby Webster. As part of the new deal, Webster has also been promoted to Executive Vice President.

The organization also handed out extensions to several key members of the front office, including vice-president of player personnel and assistant general manager Dan Tolzman, vice-president of basketball strategy and research Keith Boyarsky, and vice-president of operations Tyla Flexman.

The 2026-27 season will mark Webster’s 10th year as the Raptors’ general manager, continuing a long run that has included the franchise’s 2019 NBA championship and multiple playoff appearances.

Darko Rajakovic extension on the horizon?

After the Webster extension, attention has quickly turned to head coach Darko Rajakovic. According to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, “The next obvious move is an extension for Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, who is also entering the final year of his existing contract.”

Rajakovic just completed his third season with the Raptors and helped guide the team back into the playoffs. Toronto finished with 46 wins, a 16-win improvement from the previous season, earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and made its first postseason appearance in four years.

The Serbian coach was also selected to coach Team World during All-Star Weekend, became the first European head coach to coach in an NBA playoff game, and received a third-place vote for Coach of the Year. A contract extension would be well deserved.

Raptors linked to upcoming free-agent big man, Mitchell Robinson

The Raptors are already being connected to potential offseason targets, with New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson reportedly drawing interest from Toronto.

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Raptors are among several teams expected to explore center upgrades this summer.

“Teams regularly relayed to me when I’ve asked around about Robinson’s status have pointed to the Bulls, Hornets, Lakers, and Raptors,” Fischer reported. “Those are all clubs known to be looking for center upgrades.”

Robinson is currently playing in the NBA Finals for the New York Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs. Through four games, the Knicks hold a 3-1 series lead, while Robinson is averaging 5.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game.

The post Raptors Weekly Wrap-Up: Bobby Webster extended, more first appeared on Raptors Republic.

She didn’t start playing properly until the age of 14, when her track and field coach recommended her to a program in the capital, Vilnius. And even when Juškaitė swiftly ascended from beginner to “one of the main players,” her arduous path through what seems like every professional league in Europe was marred by injury and upheaval.  

It wasn’t until a couple years ago that she even considered the WNBA to be a realistic possibility. 

“Honestly, it was never on my radar because it looked too far and too big of a thing,” Juškaitė says in the hallways of Coca-Cola Coliseum after practice. “And I was like; I’m just a kid from a little town. Like, there is no way I will make it to the States, to the league.” 

After playing her first six or seven years in Lithuania at a level she described as “not great,” her skill had reached the point where a move abroad was needed in search of stronger competition.  

That took her to AZS AJP Gorzów Wielkopolski in Poland, Juškaitė’s first EuroCup team, and her first experience playing in another country. It was hard. The new language and people were so difficult to navigate that there were days when she cried and wanted to go home. But she was under contract; she lived through it.  

Next came Valencia in Spain, where she won her first EuroCup title, but was also relegated to limited minutes off the bench.  

“I was just, like, still (a) young player looking for myself at some point,” Juškaitė says. “And this year (in Spain) was probably the hardest because I wasn’t playing that much. 

“But it shaped me mentally, I would say, to understand that I will not always be the main player, not the starter, and need to find my way to live in teams like that as well.” 

Her basketball gauntlet across the European continent was far from finished. She went to France and experienced another difficult season rife with injury and coaching changes at Saint-Amand Hainaut Basket. Then came Italy and another injury, this time a collarbone fracture that stopped her from playing for over seven months.  

She made a brief few-month stop back home to get her bearings then went to a Turkish club that went bankrupt and didn’t pay its players. Then she began her EuroLeague career with Czechia’s Žabiny Brno. 

It was there, only two years ago, that the prospect of playing in the W moved from unfathomable to a real possibility in her mind.  

“I started to play EuroLeague, and I started to see the players who come from W to play EuroLeague, that I am not that much worse than them,” Juškaitė says. “I am competing with them. Like, sometimes I kick their ass.” 

Last season, she won another EuroCup championship on a much more reliable Turkish team, Çukurova Basketbol Mersin.  

Still, it’s head-spinning simply trying to keep track of the myriad stops she’s made in her basketball career. Now imagine living it.  

Back in Spain, Juškaitė learned the importance of humility, but now she’s back in a primary role, having started nine of the first 12 games in Tempo franchise history. Her outside shooting and aggressive driving have netted her four double-digit scoring games, including a new WNBA high of 19 points on only seven shots in Toronto’s most recent win over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday. She’s averaging 9 points and shooting 41.9 percent from three while serving as an important play-finisher and active defender.  

Bearing in mind how she’s constantly had to adapt throughout her career — to new countries, languages, roles, systems, climates and surely so much more — it makes sense that Juškaitė seems unfazed by her latest transition.  

“I think it just toughened me up,” she says. “I was fortunate enough to always have my support system, like my personal trainer, who, like, a few days after my collarbone surgery, he said, ‘no, you are not staying at home. We go to gym. Maybe you can’t move your arms, but you can move your legs, so we will do something.’ So, I always had people beside me who helped me. 

“And, yeah, I was always the shy kid in my young age and being in all the different situations and stepping out of the comfort zone in different countries with different people. Just, now I feel like I’m grown up. Like, I’m more brave. 

“I have things to say. I have all experiences in my life that if something happens to the player, I know exactly how they feel. So, it helps a lot to be, like, good teammate and good person in general.” 

On the court, she’s had to adjust to moving from the three to the four; a change head coach Sandy Brondello thinks is best for her and the team. The style of basketball is different from how she played in Europe, too. It’s more driven by individual talent and less team focused. In European basketball, self-creation is less prevalent, necessitating that shots be found via a concert of passing and player movement.  

Her teammate Julie Allemand, a Belgian native and longtime European player, also expressed the same sentiments about the differences between North American and European basketball. She also praised Juškaitė’s ability to adapt.  

“It’s not easy; we also have to think about that — how tough it is,” Allemand says at practice. “But I think she’s been doing well. The thing is that she stayed aggressive. As a three or as a four, she was aggressive. She was trying to go take rebounds, she was still pushing the ball. Going to the paint. That’s the most important. We want her to try to stay herself.” 

“She gives great energy … we just want her to be who she is, play instinctively,” head coach Sandy Brondello echoed.  

That energy is abundantly obvious on defence, where her arms are a blur, and despite being undersized for a frontcourt player, she can overwhelm opposing players with her physicality. We saw her emphatically block Nell Angloma on Wednesday and front the post for one of her four steals. 

The mindset fuelling her aggressive and unwavering play stems from the same bravery she learned through her years bouncing from country to country, league to league.  

“When I play, I never look to the scoreboard. I just try to play hard and compete every minute, every second,” Juškaitė says. 

“It’s just in me. Like, maybe I was always quiet outside of the basketball court, so I wanted to prove a lot of things on the court.” 

It’s evident in every facet of how she plays the game. From her frenzied defence to her hard-charging drives. When she turns the corner on keeper play with a full head of steam, it’s clear she’s giving her all. And that’s because she did to get here. 

“I feel like I didn’t skip any steps in my career,” Juškaitė says.  

“I’ve been in, like, lower leagues, better leagues, and lately in EuroLeague. So, I’m 28 years old. I really played basketball professionally for a long time. And as I said, I didn’t skip any level because sometimes players jump from here to the biggest levels, and they are missing something. And I feel I checked all the boxes, like, to be finally here.” 

The post Laura Juskaite’s improbable path to the Toronto Tempo’s starting five first appeared on Raptors Republic.

Bobby Webster, who has served as the Raptors’ general manager since 2017 and has been part of the organization’s front office since 2013. Over the course of his tenure with the Raps he has been promoted to Executive Vice-President and General Manager. Now, most recently, Webster signed a five-year contract extension that will begin in the 2026-27 season.

With Webster’s future locked in, the next move could be keeping another key figure in Toronto long term. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, “The next obvious move is an extension for Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, who is also entering the final year of his existing contract.”

Grange added that “the timing on that move has yet to be determined, but multiple sources have confirmed it’s in the works.” If indeed an extension does actually get done, it would be hard to argue against it.

The Raptors have improved in each of Rajakovic’s three seasons as head coach. In his first year behind the bench, Toronto finished 25-57 and missed the playoffs. The following season, the team improved to 30-52, but still fell short of postseason contention.

This past year, however, the Raptors took a major step forward, finishing 46-36, earning the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and making their first playoff appearance in four years.

The slow start to Rajakovic’s tenure was understandable. When he arrived in Toronto, it was his first full-time NBA head coaching job after spending years as an assistant and briefly serving as interim head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.

He also joined a team in the midst a major pivot. The Raptors were moving on from the core of their 2019 championship team and eventually dealt both Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby as the organization shifted toward a rebuild.

Going into 2025, Toronto didn’t even have its own first-round pick and expectations were low. The season was focused more on player development than wins and losses. Well, that all changed this past season.

The Raptors entered the year with a clearer direction, a stronger roster, and much higher expectations. Rajakovic did a strong job establishing an identity for the team and getting players to buy in. Of course, having a healthy Brandon Ingram certainly helped, but Toronto’s improvement went beyond personnel. The team looked more organized and much more competitive than it had in previous years.

Rajakovic’s work did not go unnoticed as he earned recognition around the league. He was selected to coach Team World during All-Star Weekend, became the first European head coach to coach in a postseason game, and even received a third-place vote for Coach of the Year.

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The results speak for themselves. The Raptors have gotten better every season under Rajakovic, and the team is heading in the right direction. He’s shown he can develop young players, navigate difficult circumstances, and help build a winning culture. An extension feels like the natural next step.

The post Raptors could soon reward Darko Rajakovic with new contract extension first appeared on Raptors Republic.