The wheels keep on turning, folks! Mark it down as six wins in a row for the Toronto Raptors after getting a dominant upper-hand over the Washington Wizards on November 21. The game held significance for Toronto, not only to continue their impressive winning ways, but as the dagger to move on to the NBA Cup Knockout Round. The Pacers lost their respective game against Cleveland on the same night, and Toronto cruised past the Wiz with relative ease, boasting a final tally of 140-110.
With the Group Play stage of the tournament now complete for Toronto, what exactly does the flashy-sounding Knockout Round entail? As NBA.com states: "... The Knockout Rounds will consist of single-elimination games in the Quarterfinals (played in NBA team markets on Tuesday, Dec. 9 and Wednesday, Dec. 10) and Semifinals and Championship (played in Las Vegas on Dec. 13 and Dec. 16, respectively). The Knockout teams will compete for a prize pool and the NBA Cup championship trophy."
Simply put, the first set of NBA Cup games for Toronto was just the appetizer, and now the Raptors are getting ready for the meat and potatoes. High stakes is definitely a fitting tagline, especially considering the Las Vegas backdrop for the closing stages of the NBA Cup tourney, and for many of the players on this Toronto squad, it will be their first taste of such basketball play.
Raptors advance and now face a key trial on the road to NBA Cup glory
Raptors star Scottie Barnes was actually asked about this during his post-Wizards win media availability, with the reporter's exact question being: "Obviously you guys, the goal is to be playing meaningful basketball at the end of the year, playoffs. You're one of the few guys on the team that has playoff experience, for a very young team that hasn't had a lot of like high leverage reps. How much do you think you guys can get from playing in like a knockout type of format?"
To which Barnes responded (YouTube link here):
"Oh, for sure. When you step into that environment, it's just going to feel that way. Refs are going to get a little more lenient. But yeah, you know, they're going to back away from some calls. They're going to let you be more aggressive, more physical. Watched it on TV last year, and it just, it looked kind of like playoff basketball. So to get in that environment, be in that crowd is just going to be amazing."Scottie Barnes, Nov 21, 2025
All of Toronto's current starters have some playoff experience, but with the Raptors' remaining talent— including Jamal Shead, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Gradey Dick, Ja'Kobe Walter, and Collin Murray-Boyles — this is a perfect opportunity for these eager young players to gain valuable early reps in a pressure-filled, high-stakes environment that Toronto aims to reach come April.
This emerging bench mob will surely play a big role in the Raptors' hopeful playoff journey down the line, and the nitty-gritty of NBA Cup play will show the front office if they can truly rely on these guys in crucial games. It's one thing to show out on a regular night, but what about when the lights shine brightest? I believe in their ability, but as Scottie Barnes mentioned, the opportunity goes beyond just winning the NBA Cup — it's up to the young players to lock in and show everyone what they're truly capable of.