The Toronto Raptors fell short to the New York Knicks, 113-108, on Monday, despite RJ Barrett’s 30-point outburst. As the salary filler in the blockbuster trade that landed Knicks OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, Barrett nearly led Toronto to the victory in his revenge game, though another new Knick Karl-Anthony Towns hit a three that sealed the game. However, the Raptors also lost Scottie Barnes to a leg injury in the third quarter, landing on KAT’s foot as he contested a shot near the basket. After the game, Raps head coach Darko Rajakovic shared an initial report to reporters.
“Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic says Scottie Barnes tweaked his ankle,” via Toronto Star Sport on X, formerly Twitter. Likewise, Rajakovic added, “X-rays negative. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”
Knicks def. Raptors
The initial injury diagnosis from the Raptors sounds positive, especially after Scottie Barnes yelled “I can’t feel my foot” as he lay on the floor before his teammates helped him up.
Then, Barnes also needed help from support staff returning toward the locker room, where their medical staff ultimately ruled him out for the game. In his possible absence against the Heat, look for Davion Mitchell and Ja’Kobe Walter to play increased minutes.
Moreover, the injured Barnes joined Immanuel Quickley on the Raptors’ injured list, as he continues recovery from an elbow injury. Meanwhile, key role player on the 2023 Nuggets title squad Bruce Brown continues preparations and conditioning for his eventual on-court return.
Anyway, while the team isn’t winning many games this year, they have remained competitive–thanks to the team’s tremendous performances–against their opponents, playoff teams or no.
Player development
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Still, with the team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, there’s no particular hurry for Barnes and Quickley to return. For now, the Raptors will continue to assess what they have with Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, and Ja’Kobe Walter, under veterans Barrett, Kelly Olynyk, and Jakob Poeltl.
For instance, Walter definitely impressed the Raptors with his outing on Monday, scoring 19 points against the Knicks on 6-12 shooting. The young first-round pick’s showing certainly inspired optimism from coach Rajakovic.
“He is a good shooter. We believe in his shot,” the coach said, via Aaron Rose of Sports Illustrated. “I’m encouraging him to take all of those. Last game, he had three situations where he used a shot fake instead of letting it fly. So that’s something he needs to continue doing for us and feeling comfortable in his own skin.”
Amid tanking concerns, the Raptors continue to play competitive basketball, belying the idea that teams need to show just enough effort to deny intentionally throwing games because they want a top draft pick.