“Jamal is special. He gets you going.” That was Alijah Martin’s verdict after the Toronto Raptors relied on an unexpected career-best night from the second-year guard to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 121-107 in NBA Cup play on Friday, November 7, 2026, at Fiserv Forum.
Target Martin and Shead for Fantasy Upside
- Martin’s Waiver Wire Value: Following a 27-point explosion on 9-of-11 shooting, Martin commands immediate attention in deep fantasy leagues as a high-efficiency floor-spacer who can rack up defensive metrics.
- Shead’s Playmaking Volume: Jamal Shead’s career-high 16 assists solidify his role as a primary distributor while core guards remain sidelined, elevating his assist-to-turnover ratio appeal in DFS formats.
- Bucks Defensive Fade: Milwaukee’s 27th-ranked defense continues to bleed perimeter efficiency, making opposing guards a high-priority target in weekly matchups.
Shedding the Injury Burden at Fiserv Forum
The Raptors arrived in Wisconsin facing a steep personnel deficit. Playing the second leg of a stretch without Kawhi Leonard (knee), Scottie Barnes (left adductor strain), and Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring), Toronto needed secondary creation to avoid a damaging slip against a reconstructed Milwaukee side. Sportsnet.ca reported that the Raptors initially fell behind by as many as 13 points in the first quarter, struggling to contain an aggressive Bucks rebounding effort that yielded 11 first-half offensive boards.
Yet Toronto chipped away, converting high-volume possessions behind RJ Barrett, who matched Martin with 27 points, and centre Jakob Poeltl, who also chipped in on both ends. Yahoo reported that Barrett entered the contest averaging 20.9 points per game through the road trip, shouldering extra defensive attention with the frontline depleted. But it was the bench units and unexpected contributors who flipped the script after a 60-51 halftime deficit.
ALIIJAH MARTIN’S LIGHTING IT UP WITH HIS FIFTH THREE-POINTER TONIGHT! 😎 pic.twitter.com/fYsitlpD7a
Martin and Shead Spark the Second-Half Surge
Alijah Martin seized his opportunity after being drafted 39th overall in 2025 and spending his rookie campaign primarily on a G League two-way contract. Slowed earlier by off-season knee surgery, Martin poured in a career-high 27 points, hitting 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. His offensive engine was fueled by Jamal Shead, who handed out a career-high 16 assists against just one turnover in his first start of the season.
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Key Shooting Stat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alijah Martin | 27 | – | – | 6-7 3PT |
| Jamal Shead | 10 | – | 16 | 1 Turnovers |
| RJ Barrett | 27 | – | – | Primary Scoring Load |
| Jakob Poeltl | 19 | 11 | – | 6 Off. Rebounds |
“Tonight was awesome because you know when guys are ready for their moment, they pop, and he popped tonight,” Shead said, according to Sportsnet.ca. The Raptors shot 62 per cent from the floor in a near-perfect third quarter, taking their first lead on Martin’s fifth three-pointer and holding Milwaukee to just 47 points in the second half.
We're done & Raps have weirdest & maybe most impressive win of the season @Bucks. Alijah Martin goes off for 27, RJ w 27. Jamal Shead a career-best 16 assists, Poeltl season-high 19pts & Raps win 121-107 without Barnes, IQ or Kawhi. Improve to 5-4; 2-2 on trip & 1-1 in Cup.
Cultural Resilience and Familiar Faces on the Sidelines
For head coach Darko Rajakovic, the victory represented more than a simple group-stage win in the NBA Cup. Raptors HQ noted that Milwaukee entered the post-Giannis Antetokounmpo era transitioning under new staff, while Toronto needed to address its early-season defensive issues.
“Tonight was inspirational for us, not just because we were missing players and other guys stepped up, but the fight we had to have to win,” Darko Rajakovic said, via Sportsnet.ca. “When things were not going our way and they were getting 11 offensive rebounds to start the game, we never stopped fighting. It was inspirational the way the guys stayed together. They continued talking, preaching the right stuff. It was a huge cultural win for us, I would say.”
Sportsnet.ca reported that former Raptors point guard T.J. Ford—who played in Toronto during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 playoff runs—has joined the Bucks coaching staff under head coach Taylor Jenkins, reconnecting with a management tree that stretches back to their shared San Antonio and G League days with Rajakovic.
The win lifts Toronto to 5-4 overall and 1-1 in NBA Cup play, offering a vital injection of depth production as the franchise waits for its injured starters to return to the rotation.
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ALIJAH MARTIN WAS ON FIRE FROM DEEP! 🔥 27 PTS (career-high) 🔥 4 REB 🔥 2 STL 🔥 9-11 FGM 🔥 6 3PM (career-high) The @Raptors pick up their first victory in @emirates NBA Cup East Group A action! pic.twitter.com/zmrZ3eCBcI
More on Alijah Martin
Raptors turn a 9-point halftime deficit into a 2-point lead going into the 4th quarter. They've yet to lose a 4th quarter this season. They're an NBA-best +65 in the 4th (nobody else is better than +36).
Raptors need a lot more from Barrett in this situation. 8 points on 7 shots: not great, but it's been rougher on the defensive end, where the Bucks are attacking him every chance they get. A team-worst -22 in 15 minutes.
