The dreaded second game of a back-to-back rears its nasty head once again on Monday night. This time, for the San Antonio Spurs and their opponent, the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors tipped off a few hours
after the Spurs ended their game on Sunday. Both teams’ first game of the back-to-back had disastrous third quarters. While the Spurs bounced back with a win against the Nets, the Raptors couldn’t recover in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Spurs are off to a 3-0 start, their best since the 2019-2020 season. San Antonio has gotten stellar play from its superstar, Victor Wembanyama, and big performances from supporting players like Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and Devin Vassell. They’ve come when the team has needed them most. The Spurs are 2-0 in clutch games early on this season. That’s without the former clutch player of the year, De’Aaron Fox.
Toronto is off to a 1-2 start, but has looked impressive through three games. The Raptors are scoring the ball at will and playing disruptive defense on the perimeter. Toronto has scored over 120 points in two of three games this season. With multiple big ball-handlers like Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and RJ Barrett, the Raptors will be a hard team to stop on the perimeter.
This is a rare game where the Spurs will have a rest advantage in the second game of a back-to-back. The Raptors will be traveling from Dallas and played later than San Antonio. Still, they’ll have their hands full with a talented Toronto team as they look to improve to 4-0 on the season.
San Antonio Spurs (3-0) vs. Toronto Raptors (1-2)
October 27th, 2025 | 7 PM CT
Watch: FanDuel SW | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Submitted at 1 pm
Raptors Injuries: Submitted at 1 pm
What to watch for:
Ball-pressure and turnovers
The Raptors want to get into the passing lanes, pressure ball-handlers, and play fast. This is the same style of play that the Nets and Pelicans employed against the Spurs and saw good results. San Antonio has to do a better job of handling pressure and taking care of the basketball. That’s especially true when teams send two defenders at Wembanyama. The Spurs lacked composure in their last two games when the big man got double-teamed. The Raptors will undoubtedly be looking to pressure ball-handlers, be physical with Wembanyama, and throw an extra defender at him when he catches the ball. It’ll be on the rest of the roster to step up and take advantage of offensive opportunities when that happens.
Sandro Mamukelashvili’s return
A fan favorite will be back in San Antonio on Monday night. Mamu signed with the Raptors last summer and has been playing well for them to start the season. Mamu is coming off a game in which he scored 16 points in 22 minutes. The former Spur is getting solid minutes off the bench in Toronto. San Antonio knows how lethal he can be as a shooter and passer if he gets into a rhythm. It would be fitting if the big man had a good game in his return to the Frost Bank Center.
Bench minutes
The Spurs’ bench has been rock solid to start the season. Harper, Keldon Johnson, and Luke Kornet have been pivotal in bench roles. Harper and Johnson arguably saved the game on Sunday. The Raptors’ bench has been hit or miss through three games. They have weapons like Mamu and Gradey Dick, but there hasn’t been a lot of production from the second unit. When the Raptors go to the bench, the Spurs should have an advantage. They’ll need to make the most of it to build out and keep a lead on Monday.
