Scottie Barnes Exits Injured as Raptors Fall to Warriors

The Toronto Raptors saw how important Scottie Barnes is Friday night as he exited early with a left hand injury in a loss to the Golden State Warriors

This was the one worry for the Toronto Raptors.

Scottie Barnes had been healthy all season. He’d overcome the ankle injuries that had become a mild concern in his first two seasons and for all his impressive box score stats this year, his availability had been the most important.

Coming into Friday, the 22-year-old had yet to miss a game.

But a left-hand injury he suffered in the second quarter forced Barnes out of the game for the first time this season and now Toronto awaits an update on Barnes following a 120-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Barnes went up to contest a layup attempt from Jonathan Kuminga and appeared to be kicked by Immanuel Quickley in his left hand. He stayed in the defensive end, holding his hand as the Raptors took off on offense. When the Warriors got the ball back, Barnes took a personal foul and walked to the locker room in pain.

Toronto has made it clear the final stretch of this season is about development. Sure, a play-in berth, however unlikely, would be nice, but long-term growth is going to be at the forefront of everything the Raptors do.

The big question is how good can this young core be?

But without Barnes, that’s a question Toronto can’t quite answer.

He’s the lone real game-changer for the Raptors. Just look at how Friday played out, Barnes was a plus-6 in his nearly 16 minutes. In the span of four offensive possessions to start the second quarter, he nailed a fadeaway jumper, scored an isolation layup late in the shot clock, threw a bullet pass to Gradey Dick for a wide-open three-pointer the rookie missed, and then turned a post-up attempt into an open three-pointer for Kelly Olynyk.

Without Barnes, Toronto looked inept.

The Warriors ran the Raptors off the court in the third quarter, outscoring Toronto by 13 points thanks to 17 points from Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in the frame.

Immanuel Quickley had an off night shooting, tallying just 12 points against Golden State. He nailed a three to open the fourth quarter, snapping an 0-for-9 streak for Toronto behind the arc.

RJ Barrett chipped in with 23 points with Kelly Olynyk adding 16 points off the bench for Toronto, outplaying Jakob Poeltl for much of the second half.

But with Barnes sidelined, Toronto stagnated offensively. The Raptors shot 14-for-41 in the second half and his missing playmaking bogged down the Raptors in the half-court. 

Curry finished the night with 25 points including seven threes while Kuminga added 24 points as he continues to look like a young star for Golden State.

The hope for Toronto is Barnes' injury isn't serious. The Raptors are unlikely to rush him back considering the standings, but playing time continues to be paramount for him and this young Raptors core.

Up Next: Charlotte Hornets

The Raptors will continue their homestand Sunday night when the Charlotte Hornets come to town for a 6 p.m. ET tipoff at Scotiabank Arena.