Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors defeated Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in overtime on Sunday, 141-127. The Raptors trailed by seven in the final two minutes of regulation before closing on a 28-7 run that carried through the end of overtime.
It was a win that underscored Toronto’s growing place in the Eastern Conference playoff race and another crushing loss for the inconsistent Warriors. And Barnes may have delivered the best performance of his career, finishing with 23 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 assists. His 25 rebounds tied a Raptors franchise record alongside Bismack Biyombo.
Scottie Barnes Matches Nikola Jokic in a Rare Triple-Double Feat
The only other player to record at least 20 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game over the past 40 years is three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Barnes is a one-time All-Star; meanwhile, Jokic has been widely regarded as the best player in the world for much of the past half-decade.
Active players with a 20/25/10 game:
— 3x MVP
— Scottie BarnesThe only players to do it in the last 40 years. pic.twitter.com/boDNOSgjt6
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 28, 2025
Accomplishing something of this magnitude is an encouraging sign for the 24-year-old’s development and the Raptors’ potential this season and beyond. It marked the seventh triple-double of Barnes’ career.
Barnes dominated the Warriors on the boards, and he should have. Golden State often plays small, relying on undersized frontcourt players such as Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. Barnes even showed his sense of humor, jokingly collapsing onto the bench as if it were a bed after checking out of the game.
Barnes’s ability to exploit matchups and punish the smaller Warriors reflects his growth. Rebounding is rooted in effort, and for a player listed at 6’8″ to hold the Raptors’ single-game rebounding record is a feat that will not be forgotten anytime soon.
Toronto sits at 19-14 as the season approaches the halfway point. The Raptors were not widely expected to contend with the conference’s elite this season, but their position should not come as a surprise.
Detroit currently holds the No. 1 seed in a year in which Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton have not been available. That dynamic has made Boston and Indiana less formidable than last season, although the Celtics are 19-11 and would hold home-court advantage in the first round if the playoffs began today.
If Barnes continues to expand his game, the Raptors should be capable of competing with nearly any team in the Eastern Conference.
