Thunder Vs Raptors: Cason Wallace’s late surge lifts short-handed OKC to 116-107 win in Toronto
In a tight finish at Scotiabank Arena, the Oklahoma City Thunder held off a furious Toronto rally to beat the Raptors 116-107 on Feb. 24, 2026. The thunder vs raptors matchup mattered because Oklahoma City, missing several rotation players, relied on Cason Wallace and a mix of bench scoring to preserve a road victory that keeps the Thunder rolling.
Cason Wallace’s performance and finishing sequence
Cason Wallace matched his career high with 27 points, finishing with eight rebounds and an unclear assist total in the provided context; shot 11-for-16 from the field and 4-for-5 from three-point range on the night. Wallace answered Toronto’s late surge by scoring six points after the game was tied at 101 with 4: 06 to play, including a go-ahead mid-range score with 1: 38 remaining that served as the decisive blow. Earlier he electrified the crowd with a between-the-legs stepback and a right-wing 3, and midway through the third quarter he forced a steal from Immanuel Quickley that led to a fastbreak assist to Lu Dort.
Bench contributions: Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein
Isaiah Joe provided a major scoring lift with 22 points, and Alex Caruso returned from an ankle issue to add 16 points, four assists and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench. Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in 11 points. Caruso had missed the Thunder’s Sunday win over Cleveland with a sprained left ankle and had been listed as questionable before Tuesday’s game, but he produced steady perimeter defense and playmaking once he checked in.
Thunder Vs Raptors — momentum swing and statistical stretches
Oklahoma City led by as many as 25 points, ahead 96-71 with 1: 55 remaining in the third quarter, before Toronto mounted a comeback that reached a 101-101 tie on Jamal Shead’s 3-pointer with 4: 06 left. The Thunder then missed 14 of their first 15 field-goal attempts in the fourth, but Wallace’s late scoring and a sequence that included a forced steal and a feed to Joe for a triple sealed the outcome.
Toronto rotation, Poeltl absence and scoring details
The Raptors were paced by RJ Barrett’s 21 points and 17-point efforts from Immanuel Quickley and Ja’Kobe Walter. Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram scored 15 points each, while Jamal Shead finished with 13. Jakob Poeltl did not play on the first night of a back-to-back because of a lower-back issue, and Toronto dropped its first game in three.
Short-handed Thunder: injuries and roster context
The Thunder were notably short-handed: reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remained sidelined with an abdominal strain and did not travel with the team for its lone regular-season visit to Canada. Ajay Mitchell was out with an abdominal strain and a left-ankle sprain, and Jalen Williams missed the game with a strained right hamstring. Those absences required other players to pick up extra minutes and scoring; what makes this notable is how the Thunder’s depth produced a 116-107 road win despite that depleted rotation.
Venue notes, crowd moments and next steps
The game took place at Scotiabank Arena, which also serves as home to the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. Luguentz Dort, a Montreal native, signed autographs for local fans before the game and contributed 15 points, five rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes while limiting Brandon Ingram’s efficiency. The Thunder’s victory marked their fifth win in six games and continued an impressive stretch on the road; Oklahoma City is NBA-best 21-7 in road games and is listed as 45-14 overall in the provided context.
Toronto is scheduled to host the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama on Wednesday night, while the Raptors regroup after their comeback attempt fell short. The night also featured a separate, non-game note that a news site warned some readers their browser was not supported and suggested updating to the latest browser technology for the best experience, unclear which platforms were affected in the provided context.
The injury-driven lineup shifts caused the Thunder to reallocate scoring responsibility, and the immediate effect was a late-game reliance on Wallace and bench punch to clinch a road win. The victory preserved Oklahoma City’s momentum as it presses through a packed regular-season stretch.
