Poeltl's double-double helps Raptors beat Hornets 108-97, extend win streak

Toronto Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl (19) and forward Scottie Barnes (4) compete for a rebound against Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Friday, March 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

March 28, 2025 - 7:09 PM

TORONTO - The Toronto Raptors ran their winning streak to three games with an 108-97 victory over the lowly Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Jakob Poeltl paced the Raptors (27-47) with a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Scottie Barnes added 18 points, six rebounds and six assists. Point guard Immanuel Quickley contributed 19 points and nine assists.

Mark Williams posted a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Hornets (18-55), while Daquan Jeffries added 15 points and KJ Simpson had 14 points.

The Raptors led 32-19 after the first quarter, but the Hornets fought back to cut their deficit to 47-45 at halftime.

Toronto regained control thanks to a 15-0 third-quarter run and held an 11-point lead entering the fourth. The game was hardly in doubt over the final 12 minutes.

Raptors forward Chris Boucher was active after missing three games with an illness, but he did not play. The Montreal native last hit the court on Feb. 26, when he was held scoreless in a game against the Indiana Pacers.

Takeaways

Raptors: Toronto’s winning streak has been made up entirely of teams below it in the Eastern Conference standings, with the victory against Charlotte following triumphs over the Brooklyn Nets (23-50) and Washington Wizards (16-57). Toronto, ranked 11th, can complete the bottom-feeder sweep with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers (23-50) on Sunday.

Hornets: Star guard LaMelo Ball will miss the rest of the season with a right ankle impingement, and will also undergo a wrist procedure, the team said earlier Friday. The injury-prone Ball wraps his fifth season with Charlotte with a career-high 25.2 points per game in 47 contests. Selected second in the 2020 draft, the former rookie of the year has yet to appear in the playoffs.

Key moment

The Raptors used a 15-0 third-quarter run to flip a three-point deficit — their largest of the game — into a 12-point lead and never trailed again.

Key stat

Poeltl’s double-double was his 22nd of the season in 55 games.

Up next

Raptors: Visit the 76ers on Sunday.

Hornets: Visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2025.