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Momentum can shift quickly in the NBA, from positive, to negative and back.
Published Mar 14, 2026 • 5 minute read
Daniss Jenkins
Daniss Jenkins #24 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the net against Jakob Poeltl #19 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. Photo by Cole Burston /Getty Images
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Things can change in a hurry in professional sports.
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One week you can be riding high, full of confidence, the next everyone seems to have turned on you and there’s a lot of noise needing to be drowned out.
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And then a few days later everything might have swung again.
Should the Toronto Raptors find a way to upset conference-leading Detroit at home on Sunday afternoon just such a scenario will have played out.
The Raptors clung to fifth in the East a week ago despite losing four of five and had been entrenched in the four or five spot since late January. But storm clouds were gathering and while a blowout home win over Dallas last Sunday seemed encouraging, the team promptly had two bad road outings, dropping a winnable contest in Houston before suffering through a terrible loss in New Orleans that was made worse by the attention the team’s seeming lack of fight received.
When backup point guard Jamal Shead got stepped over and taunted by Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray no teammate stepped up for one of the most popular people in the room (other than Immanuel Quickley coming over to at least say something to Murray). The lack of response got amplified across the NBA thanks to social media.
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It wasn’t as bad optically as the corporate cousin Maple Leafs completely ignoring what ended up being a season-ending cheap shot to captain and all-time goals leader Auston Matthews, but it was a tough look.
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is injured
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is injured in a collision with Anaheim Ducks defenceman Radko Gudas in Toronto on March 12, 2026. Photo by Nathan Denette /The Canadian Press
At a low point of the season, the incident made things seem pretty dire.
But then Toronto answered the bell Friday against a Phoenix squad that was 12 games over .500 and far from an easy touch.
Brandon Ingram rallied from his worst stretch all year to win the game for the Raptors offensively, putting on a scoring clinic, Scottie Barnes shrugged off an illness that left him well under 100% to seal things with an unreal blocked shot and head coach Darko Rajakovic pushed all the right buttons in one of his best strategic nights of the year.
The question now is can these Raptors swing their season again by following up the Suns win with an unlikely victory over the powerful Pistons.
It won’t be easy. Detroit came to Toronto just over a month ago and won easily, despite missing all-star centre Jalen Duren and physical backup Isaiah Stewart. Duren is back and just went off for 30 and 13 (shooting 12-for-15) against Memphis in a blowout, MVP candidate Cade Cunningham had 15 assists in that game and Detroit’s bench is now firing on all cylinders.
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The Raptors can make a statement, having lost nearly every game to elite opponents this season, in a potential playoff preview against the Pistons.
The previous matchup came right before the all-star break and Rajakovic had optimistically predicted then: “I believe that our best basketball is ahead of us and not behind us.”
Put a big TBD on that one, with the early results not playing out that way. But as we’ve noted, things can change quickly.
More Raptors news and notes for a late-winter weekend:
NO CRYSTAL BALL
Rajakovic joked after the win over the Suns he “forgot my crystal ball in the locker room” when asked by reporters if the team would build and come together from the performance.
“I don’t know. There’s always the hope that wins like this, that they show the path for the team,” Rajakovic said. “This stretch is bringing us closer. I know one thing: This team is going to continue to fight for each other. This team is going to continue to grow. This team is going to have great ups. We’re gonna have downs. All of this, we need to go through it at this point. All of this is a part of the growth of the team. Hopefully there is momentum for the team over here and to see and understand what it takes for us to win.”
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Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic reacts during a gameagainst the Sacramento Kings last month.
Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic reacts during a gameagainst the Sacramento Kings last month. AP Photo
STEPPING UP A KEY
It’s an interesting coincidence that the NBA’s most physical team this side of Oklahoma City, Detroit, comes to town with the Shead incident still fresh.
Rajakovic and the players were adamant that wasn’t who they are, that they’ll have each other’s backs moving forward and are aware of the mistakes that were made.
Toronto has not responded to run-of-play physicality all year long and that was the case in the February loss to Detroit.
Rajakovic noted back then Detroit’s physicality shines through on both ends of the court. On defence they get lots of steals and force mistakes by having quick, strong hands. On offence they put bodies on everyone, whether it’s getting to the hoop or attacking the offensive glass (Detroit collected 17 offensive rebounds in that one despite missing Duren and Stewart).
Jakob Poeltl should help, he’s more in form than he was in the previous game, which was his first back after a long injury layoff, but it was interesting how good the Raptors looked late Friday by going small, with Ja’Kobe Walter in for Poeltl, something that won’t really be an option against the gigantic Pistons.
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Getting Collin Murray-Boyles back would help, but the initial hope he’d return Friday or Sunday doesn’t appear to be the case.
“He cannot grip the ball. Literally everything he’s doing right now is with the right hand. (Friday) was the first day he did a little bit with the left,” Rajakovic told reporters.
“It’s just getting that strength in the grip so he can actually grip the ball and catch the ball. So the moment he starts feeling better, and then the symptoms out, he’s gonna be available.”
Brandon Ingram of the Toronto Raptors drives to the net against Carter Bryant of the San Antonio Spurs.
Brandon Ingram of the Toronto Raptors drives to the net against Carter Bryant of the San Antonio Spurs. Getty Images
TIRING OUT?
This is already the second-most minutes Ingram has played in 10 NBA seasons (his most came as a rookie) and only the fourth time he’s eclipsed 2,100 total minutes. One more game played will also be his most since breaking in with the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s difficult to believe the workload wasn’t a factor in Ingram’s recent dip in play (along with the illness that has been going around the team), especially since he missed the final four months of last season with a severe ankle injury.
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Ingram didn’t seem convinced fatigue was the only reason for his pre-Friday dip, but he admitted it could factor in.
“Well, maybe. You know, I haven’t played 65 games in a season for a very long time,” Ingram told reporters.
“But also, players are going to go through a rough patch throughout the season. It’s not going to be perfect all the time, and it definitely hasn’t been perfect for me, but it’s important to keep going. I can’t let my teammates see me with my head down. I got to continue to push forward. Be strong, mentally, emotionally, physically, and just keep on going. I had a night like tonight, got out of it a little bit. My teammates found me in good spots, and I had a rhythm tonight, and it all worked out,” he said.
@WolstatSun
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