Raptors dominate Hornets despite resting starters

TORONTO – Scottie Barnes had a double-double and the Raptors routed the Charlotte Hornets 126-96 on Wednesday as Toronto had its starters play limited minutes.

Barnes finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in just 20 minutes of play in Toronto’s (30-50) final home game of the season.

RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., added 11 points and Immanuel Quickley had eight points in 14 minutes each as the Raptors relied on their depth players for most of the second half.

Barrett and Quickley didn’t play in the third quarter and Barnes only played six minutes in that period. The trio did not leave the bench in the fourth.

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Nick Smith Jr. had a double-double for an overmatched Charlotte (19-61) squad that dropped its fifth straight. Smith had 28 points and added 10 assists. Jusuf Nurkic added 26 points and was a rebound shy of a double-double

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Raptors starting centre Jakob Poeltl sat out the game with a joint contusion on his right hand. Orlando Robinson started instead, finishing with nine points and 12 rebounds.

Takeaways

Hornets: Nurkic was able to thrive without Poeltl available for the Raptors. He was 12 for 19 on field goals, missing both of his three-point attempts.

Raptors: Rookie forward Jonathan Mogbo had the first triple-double of his career with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. His 38 minutes of play time were the most of any of Toronto’s starters. Mogbo was the first rookie in the NBA to earn a triple-double this season.

Key moment

Quickley drilled a 30-foot three-pointer with 2:24 left in the half for a 49-37 Raptors lead. It capped a 12-3 Toronto run — on two threes from Barnes and two from Quickley — that blew the game open.

Key stat

It was the first time since March 14 that Barnes, Barrett and Quickley played together. They were a combined 14 for 32 on field goals against the Hornets, including 8 for 17 from three-point range.

Up next

Toronto: The Raptors close out their season with two stops in Texas, playing in Dallas on Friday and San Antonio on Sunday.

Charlotte: The Hornets will play their final two games in Boston on Friday and Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2025.