Toronto Raptors Get Major Injury Boost Ahead of Matchup vs Pistons

The Toronto Raptors could have their star when facing the Pistons next time around.

Feb 12, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) defends the basket against a shot from Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

After the Detroit Pistons take on the Orlando Magic on Saturday night, all of their focus will get shifted over to the Monday night matchup against the Toronto Raptors.

Recently, the Raptors landed a major injury boost as their All-Star Scottie Barnes has been cleared to return to the court after spending time on the injury report due to an orbital bone fracture.

As the Raptors approached their matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 23, Barnes was upgraded and activated. He checked into the game for 27 minutes. During that time, the veteran produced 17 points on 46 percent shooting from the field.

On the glass, Barnes accounted for three rebounds. In the playmaking department, he dished out six assists in the Raptors’ five-point win over the Timberwolves.

Scottie Barnes will make his return vs Minnesota tonight. He wound up missing 11 games and just over 3 weeks with the orbital fracture - right on par with the original timeline and the average layoff for NBA players with that injury.

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) November 21, 2024

It was a solid performance for the All-Star after he missed 11 games in a row for the Raptors. During that stretch, Toronto struggled by losing all but two of those matchups. Their pair of wins came against the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers.

SCOTTIE B 👌 pic.twitter.com/6mPiFYUvP9

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 22, 2024

The Pistons paid a visit to the Raptors last week to face a Barnes-less Toronto team. Detroit came out on top with a four-point win.

Lately, the Pistons have been struggling. Although they collected a comfortable win against the Washington Wizards before opening up this week’s slate, they dropped the second night of a back-to-back by losing to the Chicago Bulls.

A few nights later, the Pistons visited the Charlotte Hornets. Although they formed an improbable late-game comeback to force overtime, Detroit couldn’t come out on top. They ended up losing two in a row and dropping to 7-10 on the year.

Similar to the Raptors’ recent run, the Pistons lost their most prominent star in Cade Cunningham. Heading into their Saturday night matchup against the Magic, Cunningham has been ruled out. He’ll be a name to keep an eye on as Monday night approaches.

As for Barnes, his status against Detroit could come into question as well. The Raptors will fire up a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, which marks the start of the back-to-back, which will conclude in Detroit on Monday. Since Barnes just returned to action, there could be a chance Toronto could consider a rest night—if not a minute restriction.