David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Scottie Barnes' One-Handed Slam Highlights Otherwise Disappointing Loss for Raptors
Scottie Barnes had had enough.
He'd begun Monday's game the way far too many games have begun for the second-year forward, a tad too passive and lacking assertiveness. The Chicago Bulls had been making life difficult for Fred VanVleet and Barnes had no choice but to make a move. He backed down Alex Caruso, turned the corner, and went up for a one-handed slam just as Nikola Vucevic slid over. The result: A poster-worthy Dunk of the Year candidate from the 21-year-old.
Moments later, Barnes found himself in a near-identical situation, he awaited the help from a second defender and made the kick-out pass, finding Gary Trent Jr. behind the arc for three.
When Barnes is attacking, good things happen for Toronto. The problem for the Raptors is it doesn't happen enough and with Pascal Siakam sidelined and Fred VanVleet only able to do so much, results like Monday's 111-97 loss to the Bulls are prone to happen.
On the second night of a back-to-back, Toronto's offense couldn't muster anything. If it wasn't VanVleet creating magic or the handful of aggressive plays from Barnes, the Raptors looked lost in the halfcourt.
It got so bad that Raptors coach Nick Nurse rolled out his entire bench, playing all 12 players hoping to find anyone that could provide a spark. Nobody could.
Unlike on Sunday, though, Toronto's defense couldn't produce enough turnovers to let the Raptors get out in transition. The double teams of DeMar DeRozan that proved so successful in the first meeting just turned into easy buckets for Zach LaVine who returned from a one-game absence to lead Chicago with 30 points.
The half-court woes are going to be a problem for Toronto as long as Pascal Siakam is sidelined. They've been a below-average half-court team this season but those numbers fall off precipitously when Siakam is out. VanVleet, meanwhile, can only do so much when defenses are keying in on him.
He and Gary Trent Jr. scored 27 and 19 points, respectively, combining for 46 while the rest of the Raptors scored just 51 points as a group.
Up Next: Houston Rockets
The Raptors will have Tuesday off along with the entire NBA as the league encourages Americans to vote in the midterm elections. Toronto will then return home for a 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff against the Houston Rockets.
