It’s a pretty good time to be Scottie Barnes right now. While the Toronto Raptors are struggling and sit on the outside looking in when it comes to the Play-In Tournament, Barnes is in the midst of the best season of his young career, and has played well enough to earn a spot in the All-Star Game as an injury replace. Plus, Toronto made the decision to trade both Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby, which made clear that the team is committed to building around the former Rookie of the Year.
On Wednesday, Barnes and the Raptors picked up a 123-117 win over the Charlotte Hornets, with Toronto trying hard to hold onto a lead down the stretch. One possession in particular stood out, as Barnes needed to hoist up a shot as the shot clock was expiring and hit a part of the backboard that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a basketball hit.
This Scottie Barnes shot… pic.twitter.com/Sz0ktgqjB7
— Winky Christ
(@WinkyChrist) February 8, 2024
It was a real hoist by Barnes, who just needed to get the ball out of his hands at all costs. The good news for Toronto was that Charlotte wasn’t able to punish them for the miss — Miles Bridges missed a jumper on the ensuing possession, and the Raptors were able to ice things at the free throw line. So hopefully Barnes and his teammates are able to laugh about this one after the game.