Despite two close losses, Rajakovic finds satisfaction in his Raptors' fight against top NBA teams, showcasing resilience and competitive spirit.
The Toronto Raptors dropped a close one to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, losing 110-107 at Scotiabank Arena on the second night of a back-to-back.
It was the second straight loss for Toronto after the Oklahoma City Thunder handed them a 116-107 defeat just 24 hours earlier.
Two tough games, two tough opponents, two close losses.
After the game, head coach Darko Rajakovic shared how he felt about the effort his team put in against one of the best teams in the league, and his words captured the bittersweet reality of where this Raptors team stands right now.
"I'm satisfied, but not happy," Rajakovic said. "I thought that on a back-to-back, playing against such a good team, we really gave them a hell of a fight over there. I thought that we did a really good job, made it really hard on their main guys."
Two Close Losses Against the NBA's Best
He has a point. The Spurs came into Wednesday on a 10-game winning streak and sit at 42-16 on the season, one of the best records in the entire NBA.
The Raptors hung tough and even held a nine-point lead heading into the fourth quarter after closing the third on a strong run.
The problem was the fourth quarter, where Toronto went cold and missed eight straight shots to open the period.
San Antonio took advantage and reclaimed the lead.
Brandon Ingram finished with 20 points and a season-high 11 rebounds, Immanuel Quickley added 20, and Scottie Barnes chipped in 15 while playing through a quad contusion.
Rajakovic noted after the game that Barnes "was literally playing on one leg" and that the team tried to manage his minutes because of the pain.
The night before against Oklahoma City, it was a similar story.
The Thunder jumped out to a big lead and held a 25-point advantage in the third quarter before the Raptors stormed back and tied it at 101 with just over four minutes left.
Cason Wallace took over from there for OKC, though, and Toronto could not finish the comeback.
Are the Raptors Real Contenders in the East?
With the two losses, the Raptors have dropped to 34-25 and hold the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
That is still a strong spot to be in for a team that went just 30-52 last season, and it puts them in solid position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
But the bigger question is whether Toronto can actually compete with the top teams once the postseason arrives.
The Raptors are good enough to hang with anyone for stretches, and that much was obvious this week.
They came back from 25 down against the Thunder and led the Spurs late. The effort and the fight are clearly there, but the ability to close is what separates a good team from a great one.
Rajakovic's words really sum it up.
He is proud of the fight, but pride does not show up in the win column.
These are the kinds of games that playoff teams need to find a way to win. For now, the effort is there.
The results just have to follow.