After a weird incident against the Pelicans, Rajakovic wanted to address the situation clearly.
The Toronto Raptors bounced back with a 122-115 win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, but the biggest talking point heading into the game had nothing to do with the scoreboard.
It was all about what happened two nights earlier in New Orleans.
In the closing minutes of Toronto's 122-111 loss to the Pelicans on Wednesday, Dejounte Murray hit a three-pointer over Jamal Shead and then stood directly over him while he was on the floor, yelling in his face.
Murray picked up a technical foul on the play, but New Orleans already had an 18-point lead with about 90 seconds left, and the damage was done.
What really bothered Raptors fans was that nobody on the court seemed to step in and defend Shead, outside of Immanuel Quickley who walked over and exchanged some words with Murray.
Rajakovic Holds Team Meeting
Before Friday's game against Phoenix, head coach Darko Rajakovic told reporters that the team held a meeting to address the situation.
"After watching the film, I thought that we did not handle that situation the way we want, that we were supposed to," Rajakovic said.
"They know that that was not the true picture and image of our team, and they all agree on that. They know that it's never going to happen again."
That is a pretty strong statement from a head coach, and it tells you a lot about how seriously Rajakovic took the moment even if his initial reaction after the game was more measured.
When asked how he would have liked his players to react, Rajakovic said there is a way to stand up for each other and protect each other, and that this team is all about that and connectivity.
Quickley also spoke up and said it was "very important" for teammates to stick up for one another.
Fans Wanted More From the Team
The frustration from Raptors fans was real and understandable, and it went beyond just one play.
Toronto has dropped six of their last eight games heading into the Phoenix matchup, and the loss to a 22-45 Pelicans team only added fuel to the fire.
Seeing Murray hover over one of their young guards while the rest of the team stood and watched felt like a reflection of the bigger issues this Raptors roster has faced during its recent slump.
A Bounce-Back Win Over Phoenix
Credit to the Raptors for responding on the court against the Suns, though.
Brandon Ingram led the way with 36 points, while RJ Barrett added 22 in a game where Toronto trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter before going on a 13-2 run to take the lead for good.
The win moved the Raptors to 37-29 on the season and snapped a tough stretch that had dropped them from the third seed all the way to seventh in the Eastern Conference.
With 16 games left in the regular season, Toronto is clinging to a play-in spot and needs every win it can get.
The talent is there with Barnes, Ingram, Barrett, and Quickley, but if the Raptors want to be taken seriously as a playoff team, moments like the one in New Orleans cannot happen again, and based on what Rajakovic said, his team knows it.