Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic ejected after explosive exchange with ref

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic was not feeling in the holiday spirit on Thursday night. And that’s putting it nicely. He went absolutely ballistic on an official in the Raptors-Grizzlies game. He was apparently furious about a foul not being called, and he walked out onto the floor to the let the officials know about it. Rajakovich had to be held back by his own players, and he was visibly heated during the confrontation.

The Grizzlies ended up winning in blowout fashion, 155-126, so the no call was a non-factor. Rajakovic was upset in the fourth quarter when Scottie Barnes drove to the bucket and appeared to get fouled. Nothing was called by officials, and play was allowed to continue. That didn’t stop the Toronto head coach from making quite the scene, walking all the way out into the middle of the floor.

He’ll more than likely get slapped with a heavy fine. The Grizzlies set a franchise record with points scored. Memphis really took control of the game in the third quarter, and they never looked back, cruising to a blowout win. Grizzlies rookie big man Zach Edey was dominant, stuffing the stat sheet with 21 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks. It was his fourth double-double of the season.

Memphis finished the game with eight players in double digits. The Raptors finished with six players in double digits. Scottie Barnes was one of the top scorers, pumping in 26 points with eight assists, six rebounds, and one steal. RJ Barrett stuffed the stat sheet with 27 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds for Toronto, nearly putting up a triple-double.

The Raptors now sit at 7-24 on the 2024-2025 season. Their next opponent will be coming up on Sunday, Dec. 29th, when they face off against the Atlanta Hawks. With the win, Memphis moved to 21-10 overall. Their next game is on Friday, Dec. 27th, when they’ll face off against the New Orleans Pelicans.