The Toronto Raptors injury woes continue.
This time it was Scottie Barnes, exiting midway through the third quarter against the New York Knicks after rolling his ankle.
Barnes went up to contest a shot attempt from Knicks centre Karl-Anthony Towns and landed awkwardly as the two collided. While Towns also appeared to be in pain, the big man walked to the bench on his own accord. Meanwhile, Barnes had to be helped off the court and to the Raptors' locker room with a visible limp, following a couple of minutes down on the court.
He was later diagnosed with a right ankle sprain and ruled out for the rest of the contest. After the game, head coach Darko Rajaovic told reporters that x-rays on Barnes's ankle came back negative and the team would evaluate further on Tuesday.
While Barnes is averaging career-highs of 21.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists through this year -- fresh off inking a five-year maximum contract extension that could reach up to $270 million -- he's only played in 13 games due to injury. He's already missed 11 games due to an orbital fracture.
It's the latest in a slew of injuries for Toronto -- still without Immanuel Quickley (elbow), who's played in just three games this year, and Bruce Brown Jr. (knee) who has yet to make his season debut. RJ Barrett, Barnes and Quickley haven't played a single game as a trio during the 2024-25 campaign.
Before exiting what ended up as a 113-108 loss to the Knicks, the one-time All-Star racked up 15 points, five rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes. The Raptors return to action on Thursday as they visit the Miami Heat.
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