Toronto Raptors Preview Season with Close Loss to Nuggets

The Toronto Raptors faced off against the Denver Nuggets in a pre-season game on October 7, 2025, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, ultimately losing 112-108. This matchup marked the debut of small forward Brandon Ingram in a Raptors jersey after he was acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans prior to last season’s trade deadline. Ingram had been sidelined for the remainder of the previous campaign due to an ankle injury.

Toronto’s head coach, Darko Rajakovic, expressed his excitement about Ingram’s return, noting, “Someone told me before the game that it’s been 303 days since his last game that he played. I’m just really, really happy for him that he has a chance to be on the court and play and compete.” Rajakovic highlighted Ingram’s considerable talent, emphasizing the positive impact he can have on the team’s performance.

Ingram shared the starting lineup with teammates RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Immanuel Quickley, while Jonathan Mogbo filled in for Jakob Poeltl, who was resting due to a sore back. Both Ingram and Barrett led the Raptors in scoring, each contributing 19 points. Despite the loss, Barrett acknowledged the value of the experience. “First game, it’s not like we’re playing against some scrubs,” he remarked, referring to the challenge posed by the Nuggets and their star player, Nikola Jokic.

Toronto struggled with their shooting, finishing the game with a field goal percentage of 41.2%, including just 10 of 42 from three-point range. Rajakovic noted the difficulty of evaluating performances in pre-season games where players are limited to around 20 minutes on the court. He stated, “From this game, the most important thing is that we came out healthy. And most important thing is to get some very good film that we can watch tonight and address tomorrow with the team.”

Despite the loss, Barrett highlighted the importance of this early test. He said, “It was good. It was a good test for us to see what we’ve got out there and kind of just get game one out of the way.” The Raptors will continue their pre-season schedule with a game against the Sacramento Kings on October 11, 2025. Their regular season will commence on the road against the Atlanta Hawks on October 22, 2025.

In a related note, Nuggets head coach David Adelman praised the performance of Jamal Murray, who scored 17 points in the game. Murray, entering the season after averaging 21.4 points in the previous year, appeared confident and in great shape. He commented on his mentality going into the new season, stating, “I’ve really had no difference in my mental, to be honest. Maybe just a little more intent in what I’m trying to do, focus a little more on the court. But I’m still me, I’m still goofy. And I’m still having fun.”

Murray and Barrett, both Canadian players, addressed the enthusiastic sellout crowd of 18,654 fans before the game. Murray reflected on the experience, saying, “To have a whole country kind of rooting for you, no matter what team you go to, it’s always love. So I really appreciate it.”

As the Raptors look to refine their lineup and build team chemistry, they remain optimistic about the season ahead, eager to leverage the lessons learned from this early pre-season encounter.