Raptors Appear to Lose Scottie Barnes to Painful Injury

The Toronto Raptors lost Scottie Barnes to what appeared to be a painful right ankle injury on Monday night against the New York Knicks

Dec 5, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) walks to the dressing room after a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors can’t catch a break.

Just when it seemed like the Raptors were nearing full strength this season, injury struck again. This time it appears to be Scottie Barnes’ right ankle which he twisted during an awkward collision with Karl-Anthony Towns in the third quarter Monday night against the New York Knicks.

Barnes attempted to corral a rebound and appeared to twist his ankle. He stayed down writhing in pain before being helped off the court by team medical personnel. Unable to put pressure on the foot, Barnes hobbled to the locker room while being braced by two Raptors teammates. He was later ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Initial X-rays on Barnes' ankle came back negative for a fracture.

The 23-year-old All-Star only just returned from an orbital bone fracture he suffered in late October when Nikola Jokic inadvertently elbowed him in the right eye. It forced Barnes to miss 11 games before he returned late last month.

Coming into Monday night, Barnes was averaging 21 points, 7.8 assists, and 8.7 rebounds per game over 13 appearances this season.

Without Barnes, Toronto went 2-9 earlier this year, falling to the bottom of the NBA’s standings as the organization dealt with slew of injuries throughout the roster.

The Raptors remain without Immanuel Quickley who continues to deal with a UCL sprain and is expected to be sidelined for a little while longer. Quickley will have tests done this week to see how he’s progressed before the organization determines next steps.

If Barnes is forced to miss extended time, the Raptors will likely bump Davion Mitchell back into the starting lineup and rely on Chris Boucher to fill the void left in Toronto’s frontcourt.