Toronto trailed for the first time this season 51 seconds into its third game, and the Timberwolves never gave the lead back for long. The 117-94 loss in Minneapolis ended the Raptors' two-game winning streak and left Minnesota at 3-0.
A Quarter Lost Early
The game turned in the first quarter. By the box score's opening stretch Toronto was down 28-19, and the play-by-play has it at 18-28 after a Jonathan Kuminga three with 2:28 left. Josh Lewenberg of TSN noted that Minnesota outscored the Raptors 18-3 from three-point range in the quarter, hitting 6 of 8 to Toronto's 1 of 10. That is the whole story of a night when the defense that carried the first two games came back to earth against a good Wolves team. Kawhi Leonard was a late scratch with left knee swelling, according to Lewenberg, and Toronto never found a way to replace his scoring.
Grades for the Night
Walter gets a B-plus. His 22 points led Toronto, and he took on the extra load without Leonard. RJ Barrett gets an A-minus for the start: Lewenberg counted 11 of the Raptors' first 15 points, and he was 5-for-7 from the field while the rest of the team was 4-for-22 at that point. Scottie Barnes gets a D. He started 0-for-5 in the recorded stretch, and TSN had him scoreless through 0-for-6. Immanuel Quickley and Barnes both finished that stretch at minus-10 in about seven minutes. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 26 points.
What 2-1 Changes
The loss moved Toronto from third to fourth in the East at 2-1. The Raptors are level with sixth-place Indiana, also 2-1, and a game ahead of the 11th-place team. The pace projection still reads 55-27, though three games prove little. The schedule gives them a quick reset: it was their second straight road game, and they are off for three days before the Magic come to Toronto on October 28 and October 30. Leonard's estimated return is October 28, and his status will shape how much of this loss carries over. After the Magic, the road trip picks up at the Lakers on November 1 and the Clippers on November 2.
What was the score of the Raptors-Timberwolves game?
Minnesota beat Toronto 117-94 on October 25. The Raptors fell to 2-1, while the Timberwolves moved to 3-0.
Why did Kawhi Leonard miss the Timberwolves game?
TSN's Josh Lewenberg reported that Leonard was a late scratch with left knee swelling. His estimated return is October 28 against the Magic.
