How Spurs Vs Raptors comeback shifts pressure in the standings — who feels it first

Emerson Raymont

Published: February 26, 2026 4:16 AM ET

How Spurs Vs Raptors comeback shifts pressure in the standings — who feels it first

Here’s the part that matters: the narrow Spurs vs raptors finish handed the San Antonio Spurs a 110-107 victory that ripples into the playoff-picture sprint and recovery windows for Toronto. The immediate impact lands on the Raptors’ rotation and short-term schedule — and on the Spurs’ Rodeo Road Trip momentum — as both teams re-set after a frantic fourth quarter and a finish decided in the final 16 seconds.

Who is affected first: roster fatigue, momentum and seeding pressure

The Spurs leave Canada with momentum: they extended a winning run that was described as a nine-game streak while riding the Rodeo Road Trip and holding one of three 40-win totals in the league. That stretch has raised expectations and increased pressure on teams chasing first place. For Toronto, a blown 12-point fourth-quarter lead spotlights short-term recovery needs, particularly with an upcoming break before a road game at Washington, scheduled for a 7 p. m. ET tip-off inside Capital One Arena.

Spurs Vs Raptors — how the finish actually played out

The game inside Scotiabank Arena ended 110-107 for San Antonio. Toronto led by 12 entering the fourth quarter, but the Spurs were hot from three in the fourth and chipped away. In the final sequence, with 16. 1 seconds left No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper missed two free throws but secured his own rebound. With 10. 7 seconds remaining De'Aaron Fox went to the line, missed the first and made the second to cut the margin to three. The Spurs then fouled Immanuel Quickley while up three; Quickley made one free throw to pull Toronto within two. The Spurs split their free throws to keep it a one-possession game and on the subsequent in-bounds play Brandon Ingram got a corner look for a game-tying shot that sailed off the backboard and into the hands of Victor Wembanyama, sealing the comeback.

Box-score snapshot (key contributors)

Final: Spurs 110, Raptors 107 (Scotiabank Arena)
Raptors scoring leaders: Immanuel Quickley 20, Brandon Ingram 20; Jakob Poeltl 15 (off the bench) to match Scottie Barnes; RJ Barrett 12; Jamal Shead 12.
Spurs scoring leaders: Devin Vassell 21, De'Aaron Fox 20, Dylan Harper 15 (off the bench), Stephon Castle 13, Victor Wembanyama 12 (3-of-12 shooting); Julian Champagnie 10.

Context and roster notes that mattered tonight

Pre-game notes emphasized that the Spurs were in Canada attempting to stay undefeated on the Rodeo Road Trip and coming off a signature win over Detroit — a game described as the best victory of the season for the Silver and Black where they withstood the Pistons' physicality and played playoff-style basketball. Tonight’s matchup was framed as a test of whether San Antonio could repeatedly summon that level of effort and focus.

Personnel details called out in pregame coverage: Scottie Barnes is a high-volume scorer, Jamal Shead is solidifying his second-year growth, and Jakob Poeltl — a former Spur — was expected to be well-rested after sitting out the previous night. Sandro Mamukelashvili was set to play his first game as a Raptor against his former team; that context referenced a prior 34-point outburst he had against the Knicks last year and a postgame celebration with Flavor Flav. Grady Dick and Stephon Castle were expected to exchange dunk attempts, with Castle predicted to block Dick. There was also mention that injuries to some key players were hindering availability (details unclear in the provided context).

Reminder: a pregame listing showed San Antonio Spurs at Toronto Raptors on February 25, 2026 at 6: 30 PM CT (schedule subject to change).
There are three teams with 40 wins thus far into the season; the Spurs are one of them.
It was noted that the Raptors lost the previous night to the Thunder, increasing the pressure on the Spurs to beat Tolronto to keep pressure on OKC as they try to stay in first (spelling preserved from the provided context).

Here are five practical takeaways from this finish:

The Spurs’ fourth-quarter shooting erased a large deficit and sustained their road-trip momentum.
Toronto’s collapse in the fourth puts their rotation and late-game execution under immediate scrutiny.
Endgame free-throw misses and rebounds (Harper’s rebounded miss) directly shaped the final possession sequence.
Victor Wembanyama’s late possession secured the result despite a difficult shooting night overall.
Short-term recovery is now concrete: the Raptors have a break before the Washington game; the Spurs continue their road sequence and later wrap up a trip to Austin with a game against the Kings.

If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up, the bigger signal here is how a single quarter can flip seeding pressure and rest plans across multiple teams. The real question now is whether the Spurs can translate this comeback into consistent road resilience or if the Raptors use the upcoming off-day to reset and shore up late-game execution.

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It’s easy to overlook, but the sequence in the final 16 seconds — missed free throws, offensive rebound, free throws and a missed corner triple — is a compact lesson in how execution and composure still decide the tightest games.