Injury Concerns Return as Raptors Face Celtics

The Toronto Raptors will be without RJ Barrett while Scottie Barnes plays through injury Sunday against the Boston Celtics

Dec 26, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) dunks during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors will be without leading scorer RJ Barrett for their Tuesday afternoon game against the Boston Celtics.

Barrett is dealing with an illness that forced him to leave immediately following Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks. He missed practice on Monday and will not travel with the team, head coach Darko Rajaković confirmed. This marks the third game the 24-year-old has missed in December due to illness.

Scottie Barnes continues to play through a series of injuries, including issues with his ankle, knee, and quad that have limited his performance in recent games. Despite not being at full strength, the All-Star forward is expected to remain in the lineup.

“He’s very resilient. He’s a fighter and he’s trying to play through it and find ways to help us through all of that,” Rajaković told reporters Monday. “I always like to say, in the NBA, if you’re not banged up, if nothing hurts you, that’s a bad sign. That means that you’re not in the rotation, that you’re not playing. If you’re playing NBA minutes, something is going to be off.”

Toronto has listed both Davion Mitchell and Gradey Dick as questionable to play Sunday. Immanuel Quickley continues to remain sidelined with a UCL sprain.

On a brighter note, Jakob Poeltl and Bruce Brown returned to action Sunday night in the Raptors’ 136-107 loss to the Hawks. Poeltl, recovering from a bilateral groin strain, scored 13 points in his first game since December 8. Brown, making his season debut after offseason knee surgery, added 12 points off the bench.

The Celtics have yet to release their injury report ahead of Tuesday’s game. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis missed Boston’s game on Sunday, leaving their status for Tuesday unclear.