Vassell's 25 points leads Spurs past Raptors 123-89 as Toronto loses fourth straight

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) defends against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the first half of NBA basketball action in Toronto on Sunday, March 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Thomas Skrlj

TORONTO — Devin Vassell led all scorers with 25 points as the San Antonio Spurs routed the Toronto Raptors 123-89 on Sunday.

Stephon Castle added 15 points as San Antonio (31-39) won its third straight game. Julian Champagnie came off the bench for 20 points, including four three-pointers and former Raptors forward Bismack Biyombo had eight points and nine rebounds.

Scottie Barnes had 22 points, six rebounds and six assists as Toronto (24-47) dropped its fourth decision in a row. Barnes reached 2,000 rebounds in his career during the game to become the fastest player in franchise history to have more than 2,000 rebounds and over 1,000 assists (267 games).

RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., added 18 points and seven rebounds, while Jamal Shead scored a career-high 17 points.

Jakob Poeltl and Immanuel Quickley both rested for the Raptors, while Gradey Dick was still out with a bone bruise on his right knee.

Rookie Ja'Kobe Walter returned to Toronto's lineup from a right hip flexor injury, scoring 10 points.

TAKEAWAYS

Raptors: Turnovers were an immediate problem for Toronto as the hosts coughed up 18 points on 10 turnovers in the first quarter. That was more points than the Raptors had scored in the period. They finished with 22 turnovers leading to 30 San Antonio points.

Spurs: Efficient shooting carried San Antonio as the visitors made 41 of 85 field goal attempts (48.2 per cent). Although their three-point shooting was an unremarkable 14 for 43 (32.6 per cent).

KEY MOMENT

A 17-4 San Antonio run — punctuated by Keldon Johnson's 25-foot three-pointer with 2:19 left in the first quarter — gave the Spurs a 13-point lead they would never relinquish.

KEY STAT

Toronto has the seventh-worst record in the NBA, giving the Raptors a 32 per cent chance at drawing a top-four pick and a 7.5 per cent chance of winning the top selection in the NBA Draft lottery on May 12.

UP NEXT

Spurs: San Antonio continues its road trip with a stop in Detroit against the Pistons (40-32) on Tuesday.

Raptors: Toronto travels to Washington to play the last-place Wizards (15-55) on Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2025.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press