Toronto Raptors

Unlikely to be entirely devoid of emotion just one month after setting free a star who rewrote their franchise’s history books up north, the Toronto Raptors, on February 26, 2024, discovered the perfect remedy: a signature showing from a rising talent authoring his own story. Oozing with his trademark confidence after representing Toronto through the All-Star Game in this very arena, Scottie Barnes clocked a memorable shift against the Indiana Pacers, breaking the Raptors’ single-season record with his year’s fourth triple-double. The 21-point, 12-rebound, 12-assist night, paired with an efficient 24-point outing from RJ Barrett and double-digit showings from five others helped Toronto slice through the Pacers’ defense for 78 fastbreak points. Fittingly, the result for Toronto’s third-consecutive win: a pizza party. Lofting alley-oops all throughout the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Raptors also pieced together a pristine 35-assist, seven-turnover ratio, a surefire win recipe. The unselfish lobs also kept Toronto on the up-and-up in the standings, too, as they moved to a perfect 3-0 after the All-Star break, and just 3½ games back of the Eastern Conference’s No. 10 seed with a three-game homestand on the near horizon.