Blinksportsnews247For Scottie Barnes, it was a night on the biggest stage in Saturday night basketball. The recently battered face of the Raptors faced its first real challenge.
Big picture, it will be noted as an important lesson because there’s every indication that Barnes will bounce back as early as Monday when the Raptors play their next game against visiting Memphis.
Clearly, obviously and painfully, it was not Barnes’ night at Madison Square Garden, scoring just nine points as the host Knicks prevailed, 126-100, in the first tip since the teams engineered a five-player deal last month that landed Toronto RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
With the Raptors trailing by 15, Barnes re-entered the game two minutes into the final period having made just four shots from the field, including none from distance, while turning the ball over three times.
When he drew an extra defender, Barnes made the right pass, but shots weren’t dropping.
The talent around Barnes is not good. And when that supporting cast plays as poorly as it did in the Big Apple outside of the first quarter, he isn’t at that elite level where he can compensate for the many issues plaguing this new-look unit, which is short on talent and size following Jakob Poeltl’s injury.
Regroup, refocus and flush the loss away knowing a tip awaits in a very winnable game against the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies.
Toronto emptied its bench Saturday with four minutes remaining, the outcome no longer in question.
Barnes may have played his worst game as a Raptor, by far his worst this season.
Barrett’s 20 points led the Raptors, while Quickley posted a double-double in the loss.
As you might expect upon their return to New York, Quickley and Barrett hit it off soon after. The video featured a tribute, as the Knicks deserve a big round of applause for the way they embraced two former teammates.Prominent Knicks fan Spike Lee, who sat courtside in Toronto when his favorite team was in town earlier last month, returned to his familiar spot at center court at MSG.
Like many in attendance, Lee stood and applauded when Barrett and Quickley were introduced.Not many were happy when Barrett and Quickley took turns taking over the game in the opening minutes.With five minutes left in the period, the Raptors led 27-16 after turning the home team over five times but unable to make a single play.Toronto played with energy, set a fast pace and looked pretty good, but knew it couldn’t and wouldn’t last..
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