Raptors Final Buzzer Takeaways: A momentum shifting win over the Suns

As the clock wound down on the Toronto Raptors’ 122-115 win over the Phoenix Suns, Matt Devlin said it best: “Everything you would have wanted to see from the Toronto Raptors tonight, you have seen.”

Raptors finally beat a 'good' team

The Phoenix Suns are not necessarily a title contender, but they are now 11 games over .500 and battling for a top seed in the Western Conference. They are a good team.

Heading into this matchup, Toronto was an astonishing 1-11 against the top eight teams in the Western Conference. This win should mean something to this team and to this fanbase.

Toronto also showcased resilience throughout the game. The Raptors trailed for most of the second half before the momentum began to shift late in the fourth quarter.

The game changed when Brandon Ingram checked in with 7:37 remaining. Toronto was behind 105-97 at that point but responded with a 19-5 run to seize control of the game.

This team has built an unfortunate, but deserved, reputation for struggling to string together four quarters of quality basketball. This game was not always pretty, but Toronto stayed physical and kept the score within reach. Wins like this are how you begin to change the narrative around your team.

Scottie Barnes deserves some love

This was not Barnes’ best game. He finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Pedestrian numbers by his standards. But he made the biggest play of the night when the Raptors needed it most.

With 43 seconds remaining and Toronto clinging to a four-point lead, Jalen Green, who had been torching Toronto all night, appeared to beat Scottie Barnes off the dribble. As Green cocked back for what looked like a highlight dunk, Barnes made a remarkable recovery and blocked the attempt in midair.

The Raptors immediately pushed the ball the other way and RJ Barrett finished the play with a dunk that extended the lead to a much more comfortable margin.

Even when Scottie Barnes does not have a dominant offensive night, he still finds ways to impact winning.

Toronto needs to maintain this momentum

A win like this can be powerful. It can serve as proof that this team is capable of winning physical, competitive games against quality opponents. Or, Toronto can celebrate the moment briefly and allow the performance to fade.

With the regular season winding down, the Raptors do not have many more opportunities to show that they can compete with the league’s stronger teams.

Darko Rajakovic now has to ensure this performance is not an outlier. If Toronto wants to prove it belongs in the Eastern Conference playoff race, wins like this need to become the norm rather than the exception.