Darko Rajaković’s blunt reaction to Immanuel Quickley, who ended the Magic game on the bench
On Monday night, The Toronto Raptors picked themselves up another win with a thrilling 107-106 home win via the Orlando Magic. The Raptors came into this game trailing by as many as 21 points for the second straight night, but the victory was secured when Magic forward Paolo Banchero’s 3-pointer rattled off the rim at the buzzer.
Immanuel Quickley was huge in the Raptors’ win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, scoring 27 points in that win, but was very quiet against the Magic, scoring just five points on 2/12 shooting from the field, and finishing the game on the bench in crunch time.
After the game, the head coach Darko Rajaković was asked about what went into the decision to keep Quickley at bay.
“Because Jamal Sheed was on the floor instead,” he said, per Josh Levenberg of TSN Sports on X, formerly Twitter.
Quickley has been solid for the Raptors so far this season, but Shade’s defense and playmaking have at times provided some qualities to this Raptors team that Quickley is unable to bring to the table.
Shead scored 19 points with four rebounds and five assists in Monday’s win over the Magic, and has the ability to make some clutch plays throughout the year for the Raptors in 2025-26.
The Raptors are now 20-14 on the season, well above where most pundits expected them to be at this point in the campaign. Toronto appears to have shaken off brutal losses to the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets last week, as they knocked off two playoff opponents in the Warriors and Magic in the last two games.
The Raptors will next take the floor on New Year’s Eve at home against the Denver Nuggets, which will begin at 7:30 PM ET.
2025-12-30 16:54:00
