Barrett scores tiebreaking basket as Raptors beat Hornets 110-108

TORONTO (AP) — RJ Barrett scored the tiebreaking basket with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes both had pivotal blocked shots in the final moments and the Toronto Raptors won for the eighth time in nine games by beating the Charlotte Hornets 110-108 on Monday night.

Ingram scored 27 points, Barnes and Barrett each had 16 and Immanuel Quickley added 15 points and 10 rebounds as Toronto won its fourth straight.

Ingram got the crowd on its feet with an eye-popping fourth quarter dunk over Hornets rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner.

After Barrett’s go-ahead basket, Ingram maintained the lead by blocking Kalkbrenner from behind. On the final possession, Barnes sealed it by blocking Collin Sexton’s putback attempt at the buzzer.

Jakob Poeltl scored 13 points and Gradey Dick had 10 for Toronto.

Kon Knueppel scored 24 points, Miles Bridges added 22 and LaMelo Ball had 20 but the Hornets lost for the sixth time in seven games. Charlotte is 1-6 on the road.

Sexton finished with 17 points as Charlotte’s bench outscored Toronto’s 35-23.

Kalkbrenner led Charlotte with 10 rebounds.

The Hornets shot 10 for 40 from 3-point range, their lowest shooting percentage from long range this season.

Ball returned after sitting out Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma City, the second game of a back-to-back. Ball played 27 minutes in Friday’s overtime loss to Milwaukee, his first action after missing the previous five games because of a right ankle impingement.

Barnes set a Raptors franchise record by recording at least one block and one steal in his 10th consecutive game, a career-best. Vince Carter did it in nine straight games for Toronto from April 1 to 16, 1999.

Hornets: At Indiana on Wednesday.

Raptors: At Philadelphia on Wednesday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Toronto Raptors forward/guard RJ Barrett (9) fouls Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) rejects a shot by Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball, center, as Raptors forward/guard Scottie Barnes (4) looks on during first-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball (1) drives around Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) dunks over Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) during second-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors forward/guard Scottie Barnes (4) drives past Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabaté, right, and guard Pat Connaughton (21) during second-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Ferran Torres scored a hat trick, Lamine Yamal converted a penalty and Roony Bardghji shone in a rare start as Barcelona roared back to win at Real Betis 5-3 in La Liga on Saturday.

Barcelona’s rout of fifth-placed Betis in Seville increased its lead to four points over Real Madrid before it hosts Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Torres has grown from a bench player to become Hansi Flick’s most used striker. The Spain forward has more starts than Robert Lewandowski, who at 37 is seeing his playing time reduced.

Torres leads Barcelona in scoring with 13 goals across all competitions. He has 11 in La Liga through 15 rounds, surpassing his 10 in the league all last season. Only Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé with 16 has more goals in the domestic league in this campaign.

“I already knew that I could be a starter here in Barcelona and fight for this spot,” Torres said. “Now we have to go for more. The most important thing was our ability to respond to their early goal.”

It was a fourth career hat trick for Torres, who also bagged three goals at Betis in a 4-2 win last year.

Bardghji impressed in his third start since the 20-year-old Sweden winger joined Barcelona from Copenhagen in the summer. His dribbling was electric, and he provided a cross for Torres to score the go-ahead goal before he made it 3-1 with a powerful strike from just inside the area.

Lewandowski and Raphinha never left the bench for Barcelona. That will leave both rested for when Barcelona hosts Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday in the Champions League.

Anthony put Betis ahead in the sixth minute at Benito Villamarin Stadium. But Barcelona hit right back through Torres.

Torres slipped behind the defensive line to tap in a squared pass from Jules Koundé.

Torres scored again two minutes later when he acrobatically volleyed a cross from Bardghji between the legs of goalkeeper Álvaro Vallés. After Bardghji scored in the 31st for 3-1, Torres made it a treble in the 40th when his shot from outside the area took a deflection off a defender and wrong-footed Vallés.

The game featured a tactical novelty for Barcelona: Yamal spent most of the match playing in an interior, creative midfield role rather than on the right wing.

Yamal remained in sync with his teammates, participating in the passing move that led to Torres’ first goal. He converted the penalty in the 59th for Barcelona's fifth after a shot by Marcus Rashford hit the raised arm of Marc Bartra.

Betis eased the pain with late goals by Diego Llorente and Cucho Hernández's penalty after Koundé fouled Abde in the box.

Rashford had a golden chance to make it six for Barcelona on a solo break only to drag his shot wide with only Vallés to beat.

Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis was flying high coming into the game having beaten fierce city rival Sevilla in the previous round and was unbeaten in eight games overall. Betis will be overtaken by Espanyol on Sunday if it gets a draw with Rayo Vallecano.

Fermín López returned as a second-half substitute after the Barcelona midfielder missed two games with a leg injury.

Tajon Buchanan and Georges Mikautadze scored to help Villarreal beat Getafe 2-0 and stay in third place, one point behind Madrid.

Alaves upset Real Sociedad 1-0 in a Basque Country regional derby.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Betis' Antony celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the game during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)

Barcelona's Ferran Torres celebrates after scoring his side second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)

Barcelona's Roony Bardghji celebrates after scoring his sides third goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring his sides 5th goal from the penalty spot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)

Barcelona's Ferran Torres celebrates after scoring his side 4th goal and his third goal of the game during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)