Ja’Kobe Walter delivered a clutch moment, sinking a contested three-pointer with 0.5 seconds remaining to lift the Toronto Raptors (20-42) past the Orlando Magic (29-34) 114-113 on Tuesday night. Toronto had to withstand a furious comeback from Orlando, which erased a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Paolo Banchero took over late, scoring 22 of his 41 points in the final period on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting display. He briefly put the Magic ahead with two free throws with five seconds left, but Walter had the final answer.
Following a timeout, the Raptors inbounded from the frontcourt, and Walter took two dribbles before rising over Tristan da Silva to drill the game-winner. The rookie from Baylor finished with 17 points as Toronto improved to 7-23 on the road.
RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 21 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, while Scottie Barnes contributed 17 points and 13 boards. Jakob Poeltl also added 17 points, and Immanuel Quickley chipped in 15.
Franz Wagner scored 28 points for Orlando, which has now dropped four straight and five of its last six—all at home. The Magic, holding on to eighth place in the Eastern Conference, fell 1.5 games behind Miami for the Southeast Division lead.
Toronto overcame 20 turnovers by dominating the glass, outrebounding Orlando 48-35. The Raptors also capitalized at the free-throw line, making eight more attempts than the Magic.
Raptors rookie Gradey Dick was sidelined with a hyperextended and bruised right knee suffered in a collision Sunday night. The guard, averaging 14.4 points per game, is expected to miss at least two weeks.
Despite Banchero’s dominant performance, which included eight rebounds, eight assists, and four steals, Orlando fell short for the second time in three games when he scored 41 points. His previous 41-point effort came in a loss to Golden State last Thursday.
