UPDATE: Barnes has returned to Tuesday’s game.
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes suffered an apparent injury during Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Late in the second quarter, Barnes appeared to hurt his hand and immediately headed back to the locker room while clutching at it. He did seem to be in some amount of pain. He does not yet have an injury designation.
Barnes played 13 minutes, racking up 13 points, three rebounds, four assists, and four combined stocks. He shot 5-for-10 from the field and 2-for-4 from three-point range.
If Barnes misses time, it would mark a significant blow to the Raptors’ immediate outlook. The team is 3-4 and could improve to .500 with a win tonight, but Barnes remains the top talent on the roster. He leads the team in rebounding and blocks while sitting second in scoring and assists with 20.6 PPG and 5.0 dimes per night.
In the event the 24-year-old is sidelined, expect Brandon Ingram to see additional usage as a ball-handler as well as extra shot volume. While two different archetypes of forward, it makes sense Toronto may lean more on its next-best player. In the meantime, rookie Collin Murray-Boyles may see additional run at the four in Barnes’ place, while Ochai Agbaji could also slot into the same spot.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
