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Of the Raptors' coming five games, the date in Denver looms as perhaps the most impactful meeting of the season
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Published Mar 16, 2026 • Last updated 5 minutes ago • 4 minute read
Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley is fouled
Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley is fouled by Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) during the first half of an NBA game on Jan. 21, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. Photo by Justine Willard /The Associated Press
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The previous time the Raptors embarked on a five-game Western trip in January, they returned home feeling as good and as optimistic as a team can reasonably experience.
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Once the disappointment of a lost game to the host Lakers was discarded, the Raptors unleashed an offensive arsenal that completely overwhelmed an undermanned Golden State Warriors team that had just received the devastating news of Jimmy Butler’s season-ending knee injury.
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A win in Sacramento against a defensively compromised and disjointed Kings team would follow, and then another in Portland.
The main dish, however, would be served in Oklahoma City, home of the reigning NBA champions, to cap off Toronto’s five-game march. It’s a game remembered for Scottie Barnes’ late-game defence and high hoops IQ when he kept alive a missed free throw on a tap-back that preserved Toronto’s 103-101 win over the Thunder.
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Defining moments have played out on occasion this season, with many believing Sunday’s win over the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons served as the signature win for the Raptors. And while Sunday’s upset did turn heads, the season’s high point, at least for now, was that win in OKC.
With the regular season reduced to its short strokes, the Raptors head out for another five-pack that tips off Wednesday night in Chicago against a highly beatable Bulls side.
No win is ever assured, but a loss to the Bulls should, and will, raise concerns as the Raptors continue to jockey for post-season seeding.
Joker looms in Mile High City
A date in Denver follows with the Raptors getting their first look at Nikola Jokic.
When the Raptors played host to the Nuggets on New Year’s Eve, the hoops unicorn known as the Joker was unavailable because of a knee injury.
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Undaunted, the Nuggets defeated the Raptors 106-103 with Peyton Watson scoring 24 points and Canadian Jamal Murray adding some clutch moments in a 21-point outing.
One of the themes, perhaps the most overriding arches, to this Raptors season has been the 1-2 punch of Barnes and Brandon Ingram. In the loss to Denver, Ingram poured in 30 points, while Barnes posted a 20-point triple-double.
Of the Raptors’ coming five games, the date in Denver looms as perhaps the most impactful meeting of the season, ranking right up there with Toronto’s visit to OKC.
Road wins are tough to produce, regardless of the opposition, but some road games carry more meaning than others. Friday’s matchup in the Mile High City has the feel of something big, knowing the stakes will be high, realizing that a Raptors win has the potential to set the table for the balance of the regular season.
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Phoenix will be out to avenge its road loss to Toronto when it plays host to the Raptors on Sunday.
Then comes a meeting in Utah the following night before the Raptors end their trip in L.A. against Kawhi Leonard and the James Harden-less Clippers.
It was Harden’s offence that helped propel the Clippers to their road win in Toronto on a night Leonard wasn’t available.
Potential playoff posturing
Harden has since been dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will pose as a serious threat to represent the East in the NBA final.
Plenty of games will be played in the interim, each an opportunity for the Raptors to show their playoff worthiness.
At the same time, there are plenty of games for the Raptors to get exposed. Think back to that win over the Thunder and how well players not named Barnes or Ingram were playing.
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Remember, the Raptors went 4-1 without Jakob Poeltl, who was in a stretch of missing 24 games because of his wonky back. The big man, when he’s on the floor that is, changes so much for the trajectory of the Raptors, given his ability to protect the rim and paint, areas where the Raptors have shown to be vulnerable when he’s not in the lineup.
Poeltl is not as indispensable as a Barnes or Ingram, but he is nonetheless as valuable. In playing a season-high 36 minutes against Detroit, Poeltl did not turn the ball over, while dishing off five assists to complement his 21-point, 18-rebound effort.
More of such performances down the stretch and the Raptors won’t have to bother with the play-in tournament, a potential fate that figures to derail the team’s season when taking into account how it has been able to ascend.
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The issue has been sustainability and dealing with Poeltl’s absence.
Sweet road repeat?
All things considered, a repeat of a 4-1 Western trip is very much in play for the Raptors.
To reiterate, the key tip will be Friday night with Toronto’s second-biggest threat on this road trip arriving in the Valley of the Sun.
This trip, by no means, marks make-or-break time for the Raptors. Realistically, it is a time when Toronto needs to find its rhythm as the stretch drive begins.
Embarrassments such as the loss in New Orleans, when Toronto’s manhood came into question, cannot be tolerated, let alone repeated.
Wins over Phoenix and Detroit helped, to some extent, remove the stench emanating from the Big Easy.
Keep in mind the Raptors will return home to kick off their final 10-game stretch of the season once this coming road trip is completed. Of their remaining 10 games, six will be played at home.
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Much like Toronto’s previous five-game Western tip, this foray has the makings of something to build on as the post-season looms.
When the Raptors did return from their 4-1 January trip, they promptly succumbed to the visiting New York Knicks.
Nothing is a given going forward as the Raptors remain in a mix of teams featuring the likes of Orlando, Miami, Philly and even Atlanta as the race for the No. 6 seed intensifies.
Falling out of the top-six means competing in the play-in.
The Raptors hold all the cards and how they show their hand in these coming five games will determine so much of their playoff legitimacy.
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