San Antonio Spurs Beat Toronto Raptors Behind a Great Final Quarter

The San Antonio Spurs walked into Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night, stared down a 15-point hole, and didn’t blink. Final score: Spurs 110, Raptors 107. Toronto is still searching for answers. San Antonio is still winning basketball games. Ten in a row, to be exact.

How the Spurs Clawed Back

The Raptors had built a comfortable cushion heading into the fourth quarter. They were up 12, playing at home, in front of their own fans. Everything pointed to a Toronto win. Then the Spurs decided they had other plans.

San Antonio went to work from three-point range in the fourth quarter, chipping away at the lead one bucket at a time. Devin Vassell carried the offensive load, finishing with a game-high 21 points. De’Aaron Fox added 20 of his own. Dylan Harper, just the No. 2 overall pick, is still getting his NBA legs under him and contributed 15 off the bench.

Even with Victor Wembanyama having one of those nights, 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting, which by his standards is a minor disaster, the Spurs found a way. That says everything about where this team is right now.

The Gut-Punch Ending for Toronto

If you’re a Raptors fan, you probably want to look away here. With 16.1 seconds left, Harper went to the free throw line and missed both. He did, however, track down his own rebound, which kept the Spurs alive. Fox then stepped to the line at 10.7 seconds. He missed the first, made the second. A three-point game, just like that.

San Antonio fouled Immanuel Quickley to prevent a potential tying three-pointer. Quickley converted just one of two free throws, making it a two-point game. The Spurs then split their own free throws to keep it a one-possession game, and Toronto had one last shot to tie it.

The Raptors drew up a solid play. Brandon Ingram got himself open in the corner. This was it. This was the moment. The ball went up—and sailed off the backboard. Wembanyama pulled it down. Ballgame. Ingram finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds. It was a strong night, right up until that final shot.

The Spurs’ Win Streak Is Real

Here is what needs to be said out loud: the Spurs have won 10 straight games. Ten. This is not a fluke. This is not smoke and mirrors. This is a young, hungry team that has figured out how to win close games. Wembanyama going 3-of-12 and still walking out of Toronto with a win is the kind of résumé line that makes opposing coaches sweat. What happens when he actually gets going?

Stephon Castle added 13 points, and Julian Champagnie reached double figures with 10. The Spurs got contributions across the board. That is what good teams do.

Raptors Showed Up for Three Quarters

To be fair to Toronto, this wasn’t a poor performance from start to finish. Jakob Poeltl gave them 15 points off the bench. Scottie Barnes matched that total. RJ Barrett and Jamal Shead each chipped in 12. Quickley and Ingram led the way with 20 apiece.

Three solid quarters. One brutal fourth. That’s the story. The hard reality is that when you’re playing a team on a 10-game win streak, you can’t afford to let up for a single possession down the stretch. The Raptors let up. The Spurs made them pay.

What’s Next

Toronto has some time to breathe before heading to Washington to face the Wizards. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena, and honestly, the Raptors could probably use a lighter matchup to clear their heads after this one.

The Spurs, meanwhile, keep rolling. At some point, the rest of the league is going to have to start taking this win streak seriously.