The Toronto Raptors sit at 4-4 through eight games of the 2026-27 NBA season. Considering the fact that star acquisition Kawhi Leonard has only played in two of the team's eight games so far due to a lingering injury, things could be a lot worse. However, after the Raptors second half collapse against the Denver Nuggets, it is impossible to ignore the emergence of a troubling trend.

In Toronto's four losses, they have been outscored by an average of 13.5 points in the third quarter. Even in their four wins, the Raptors only won the third quarter twice. The team's latest collapse against Denver in which they lost the third quarter 41-15 acts as the most recent example of a pattern as opposed to an isolated incident.

What is Going Wrong After Halftime?

Looking specifically at the game against the Nuggets, the most obvious drop in production at the start of the second half lies in the Raptors' ability to make shots. In the third quarter, Toronto shot 5/23 from the field, which equates to an abysmal 21.7 per cent.

Additionally, the Raptors also turned the ball over seven times against Denver in the third quarter alone. On top of this, the Raptors also surrendered 41 points to the Nuggets.

This particular third quarter may have been an outlier, where everything that could have went wrong did go wrong for Toronto, but this does not mean that the Raptors don't have a combination of problems when it comes to trying to continue to generate positive momentum after halftime.

What Needs to Change?

Getting Leonard back is what Toronto needs most right now. When the shots aren't falling, the Raptors need someone who can create his own shot in the half court. When the team has a few ugly turnovers in the span of a few minutes, Toronto needs a veteran leader to step up and slow things down to create a quality possession.

Leonard can be the guy in both of those situations.

Toronto may also need to start experimenting with different rotations out of the half as well. The end goal is not to find the "perfect" lineup coming out of the half, but rather being able to quickly adjust to what the opposition is showing out of the half.

The Raptors don't need to win every third quarter by ten points to have a successful season, but if their struggles in the third quarter continue, then this could become a significant obstacle to their goals down the stretch.

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