Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Scottie Barnes' Ankle Sprain Adds Injury to Insult After Loss to Heat
For now, Scottie Barnes' health is all that matters.
It was a little over a month ago that the Toronto Raptors forward was forced to miss three weeks with a right ankle injury heading into training camp. Now that same ankle may force the reigning Rookie of the Year to miss even more time after an awkward fall in the second quarter of Saturday's 112-109 loss to the Miami Heat resulted in a right ankle sprain, the team announced.
Barnes made an aggressive attempt for a dunk in the second quarter against Tyler Herro, driving hard into the lane and taking off for the highlight-reel slam. As he descended, though, he landed on Herro, tweaking his right ankle and falling to the ground in pain. He stayed down for a few moments before Toronto called a timeout and helped him to the bench.
The 21-year-old Barnes did stay in to attempt the and-1 free throw but quickly checked out and was subsequently ruled out for the game. X-Rays on the ankle came back negative, according to the TSN broadcast.
It was the second time Barnes was forced into the locker room Saturday night after suffering an apparent shoulder injury in the first quarter. He checked out and was examined by the medical staff before returning early in the second quarter.
The injury made a disappointing Raptors performance even worse Saturday night as Toronto came out lethargic and sloppy on the second night of a back-to-back. The team didn't get into Miami until 4 a.m. Saturday morning and it showed early. They missed three dunks in the first quarter and let Miami jump out to an 11-point lead thanks to some serious defensive lapses from the Raptors.
It wasn't until the third quarter when Christian Koloko and Caleb Martin were both ejected following a brief skirmish that Toronto finally came alive. Martin fouled Koloko, stood over him, and then tackled him leading to the double ejection. It spurred the Raptors onto a 17-2 run to end the quarter, cutting Miami's lead to just seven.
The Raptors pulled to within six points early in the fourth quarter after Malachi Flynn, making his season debut, nailed a corner three-pointer. It was part of an inspired rally from Toronto's bench that saw Precious Achiuwa lead the way with 18 points and 11 rebounds. An O.G. Anunoby three-pointer with 13 seconds pulled Toronto to within three, but the Heat split their free throws and survived long enough to hold on.
If Barnes' injury is short-term Toronto may opt to go with Koloko in the starting lineup in order to keep the bench unit intact moving forward. Otherwise, Precious Achiuwa should be expected to step into the starting lineup with Dalano Banton taking on a bigger ball-handling role off the bench.
Up Next: Miami Heat
The Raptors get the day off in South Beach before a rematch with the Heat on Monday night at 7:30 p.m.
