Could Scottie Barnes Return vs. Sixers in Game 3?

The Toronto Raptors lost a key member of their roster ahead of the Game 2 matchup in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

During the fourth quarter of Game 1, Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes had his foot stepped on accidentally during game action. After twisting his ankle, the young standout went crashing to the floor, clearly in pain.

Barnes received attention from Toronto's medical staff for a while. Eventually, the young center was helped up off the floor before slowly walking back to the visitor's locker room with assistance from his teammates.

At that point, Barnes' night was finished. As the Rookie of the Year candidate had to undergo X-rays in the back, he wouldn't be cleared to return to action.

Raptors head coach Nick Nurse confirmed that Barnes' X-rays came back negative, which was a positive sign. However, he still had to receive an MRI on Sunday to ensure he isn't dealing with any broken bones.

Nurse mentioned that Barnes was likely to be listed as doubtful for Game 2 following a Sunday morning practice session. Sure enough, the Raptors listed the rookie as doubtful on the official NBA injury report.

On the morning of Game 2, Barnes was spotted walking around the Wells Fargo Center sporting a walking book during Toronto's shootaround. At that point, it was all but confirmed Barnes wasn't going to play on Monday night.

Nick Nurse confirmed that Barnes was out during his pregame press conference a few hours later. The Raptors clearly missed Barnes on Monday as they took on another double-digit loss to the Sixers.

As Toronto could certainly use help from the versatile and talented rookie in Game 3 on Wednesday night, there is a good chance they won't have him on board once again. According to the injury report, Barnes is listed as doubtful for the second-straight game due to a sprained ankle.

Barring an unexpected improvement in his health, Barnes will more than likely miss his second-straight playoff game when the Sixers pay a visit to the Raptors on Wednesday night.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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