Thunder Vs Raptors: Barrett’s Perspective, Injuries and What the Box Scores Reveal After Feb. 24 Tilt
In the wake of the Feb. 24 game, the thunder vs raptors matchup is shaping into a narrative about progress, recovery and recurring hurdles. RJ Barrett framed recent defeats as a measure of growth for a Raptors team that has climbed from a 30-52 finish last season, even while individual form and availability remain inconsistent.
Thunder Vs Raptors: final score and immediate impact
The Oklahoma City Thunder beat Toronto 116-107 on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, snapping Toronto’s two-game win streak and moving the Raptors' record to 34-24. RJ Barrett, who is from Mississauga, Ont., led the Raptors with 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the loss. Immanuel Quickley and Ja’Kobe Walter each scored 17 points, with Walter coming off the bench.
Where the Raptors stand against top competition
The defeat dropped Toronto to 4-14 against the league’s top 10 teams. Three of those four wins came against the Cleveland Cavaliers before Cleveland completed a trade for James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 4. Barrett placed recent losses — including a 113-95 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 11 — in context as signs of how far the franchise has advanced from last season’s 30-52 finish.
Quarter-by-quarter swings and turnover detail
Toronto opened the game strongly, taking a 32-25 lead in the first quarter while limiting itself to just two turnovers in that frame; Oklahoma City committed seven turnovers in the same quarter. The momentum shifted after that: over the final three quarters the Raptors turned the ball over 14 more times while the Thunder had nine additional turnovers, a swing that contributed to the comeback and final margin.
Health, availability and performance trends
Scottie Barnes, one of Toronto’s key players, was held to 15 points as the Thunder’s defense contained him and fellow all-star Brandon Ingram, who was also held to 15. Barnes suffered a right-quad contusion and was listed as questionable for the following night’s game against the visiting San Antonio Spurs. Earlier in the month, the Raptors had been without Barnes for a game while he was back in Toronto for personal reasons, which was noted as his second missed game of the season.
RJ Barrett’s recent minutes and shooting trends contrast with his pre-injury form. After missing significant time earlier in the season, Barrett has faced a slow ramp back: he finished with seven points on 2-for-10 shooting in a recent win against the Milwaukee Bucks, and has struggled across the 10 games since returning from an ankle injury that itself came 10 days after returning from a knee injury. Those two leg ailments combined to keep Barrett out of the lineup for 24 of 30 games over a roughly two-month span beginning in late November. He has also been on a minutes restriction for several games.
Statistically, Barrett has been shooting 39. 8 percent from the floor over the recent stretch — 46. 6 percent on two-point attempts and 27. 5 percent from three — averaging 14. 4 points in 26. 7 minutes per game. By comparison, before those injuries he had averaged 19. 6 points and 50. 7 percent shooting from the floor (34. 5 percent from three and 60. 2 percent on two-point field goals).
Coaching response and what’s next
Head coach Darko Rajakovic said the second and third quarters of the loss were not representative of the team’s identity, noting that film work should help the roster understand where the breakdowns occurred after a promising start in the first quarter. Barrett emphasized the value of playing battle-tested opponents as learning opportunities, saying the team must continue to "scratch and claw" to close the gap on stronger teams.
Separately, the Toronto team had beaten the Milwaukee Bucks in a home game in which the Bucks, listed at 24-31 at that time, had entered having won six of seven and were without their foundational star; that victory improved the Raptors to 34-23 before the loss to Oklahoma City. The remainder of one analytical piece in the provided context cuts off mid-sentence and is unclear in the provided context.
Collectively, the box scores and injury notes from the recent slate — including the Feb. 11 Pistons rout, the Barrett minutes and shooting trends, Barnes’ right-quad contusion and the team’s 4-14 record against top-10 opponents — outline both progress since a 30-52 season and the immediate challenges for a Raptors roster still adapting to injuries and tougher competition.
