Raptors block Hornets at buzzer for fourth straight win

The Toronto Raptors brought tremendous defense to the table as they beat the Charlotte Hornets.

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram dribbles the ball against Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Kneuppel. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are still on their winning streak after a 110-108 victory against the Charlotte Hornets at Scotiabank Arena.

With a minute to go, the Raptors were trailing by two points, Barnes picked up a key offensive rebound to tie the game on a putback dunk. On the next possession, LaMelo Ball drove into the lane, but Immanuel Quickley got into the mix and blocked him at the rim.

That allowed RJ Barrett to score the go-ahead bucket to give the Raptors a two-point lead. On the final possession, the Hornets nearly scored twice, but a pair of blocks at the rim from Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes helped seal the win.

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram tries to get past Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Raptors extend winning streak by beating Hornets

In the win, Ingram led all scorers with 27 points on 9 of 21 shooting from the field. Barnes and Barrett had 16 points apiece while Quickley had 15 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double.

Starting centre Jakob Poeltl had 13 points while Gradey Dick added 10 off the bench. The team made 50 per cent of their shots from the field and 40 per cent of their 3-point attempts.

For the Hornets, rookie Kon Knueppel had 24 points to lead the team. Miles Bridges had 22, LaMelo Ball added 20 and Collin Sexton pitched in with 17 off the bench.

It wasn't the prettiest victory for the Raptors, but the Hornets gave them a run for their money. They have been competitive in the first segment of the season and that continued against the Raptors.

The Raptors ultimately won the game due to their defense, which has been their bread and butter all season long. Though they have hovered around league average in defensive rating, they have built their identity on being a defensive-minded team and at the end of the game, that part showed tenfold.

The Raptors won the game off of those blocks at the end and that should fire head coach Darko Rajakovic up.

The Raptors have won four games in a row and eight of their last nine. The team continues to find ways to win and momentum is continuing to take shape.

The Raptors are heading back out on the road against the division rival Philadelphia 76ers, the only team they have lost to in the last nine games. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET inside Xfinity Mobile Arena.