For many, Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic is still the guy who touted Scottie Barnes as the future face of the NBA in a postgame diatribe against officiating. He is gaining recognition for much more than a viral clip now, however. Although his team has struggled in December, it sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 19-14 record. Toronto is coming off a 141-127 overtime win versus the Golden State Warriors, which showcased Rajakovic's extensive preparation skills.
Barnes looked every bit the elite player his HC is predicting him to become, posting 23 points on 11-of-17 shooting to go along with a whopping 25 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and one block. He also made the game-tying bucket with less than 25 seconds remaining in regulation. Immanuel Quickley drained five 3-pointers and scored a team-high 27 points, while Ja'Kobe Walter, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jamal Shead all made an impact off the bench.
The Raptors' defensive game-planning proved especially crucial. They forced NBA legend Stephen Curry to work hard for his 39 points, holding him to 40 percent shooting from the field. Rajakovic was incredibly motivated to slow down the four-time NBA champion after recalling an old soundbite from Hall of Fame head coach Gregg Popovich.
“I saw a video of coach Pop when asked what’s the gameplan for Luka {Doncic}, and he said to keep him under 50, and Luka dropped 51,” Darko Rajakovic told reporters, per Omer Osman. “So, our goal tonight was to keep him at 39.”
Darko on Steph Curry dropping 39 tonight:
“I saw a video of coach Pop when asked what’s the gameplan for Luka, and he said to keep him under 50, and Luka dropped 51. So, our goal tonight was to keep him at 39.”
😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/jXWyAtLn35
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) December 29, 2025
Mission accomplished. If the greatest shooter of all time was just a little sharper, the Warriors would have left Toronto with a win (the same logic obviously applies to the rest of the squad). Instead, the Raptors buckled down and limited both Curry and Jimmy Butler (19 points on 6-of-16 shooting).
They begin their five-game homestand on the right note. Rajakovic and company will try to successfully contain another star player when they battle Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic (18-14) on Monday night.
