Scottie Barnes Ruled Out For Game 3 vs. 76ers

The Toronto Raptors will once again be without Scottie Barnes in a crucial game against the Philadelphia 76ers

John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors will once again be without Scottie Barnes when they take the court Wednesday night in a pivotal Game 3 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

It's a tough break for the Raptors down 0-2 in the series and once again without a key cog in their starting lineup. Barnes appeared to be trending in the right direction earlier in the day, attending morning shootaround without a walking boot on his sprained left ankle and walking without a noticeable limp.

Despite the optimism, Barnes isn't quite ready to go and Toronto isn't going to rush the 20-year-old back before he's healthy enough to play. 

"We just got to let him heal up. Don’t want to put the pressure on him, feeling like he has to rush back. So whenever he is ready, we’ll take him back for sure," said Fred VanVleet following Wednesday's shootaround.

The Raptors will, however, have Gary Trent Jr. back closer to 100% after a few more days to recover from the illness he's been battling for about a week now. He mustered just 10 minutes in Game 2 and was unable to score a single point before ultimately leaving the game.

With Barnes out, Precious Achiuwa will likely step in to the starting lineup and take on Joel Embiid for the second consecutive game.

Further Reading

Fred VanVleet discusses stopping James Harden as Raptors search for answers

Scottie Barnes attends shootaround without walking boot, Gary Trent Jr. cleared to play

Raptors continue to exude confidence despite daunting hole: 'We've been here before'