The Basketball Gods don’t seem to favour the Toronto Raptors. Depending on who you ask.
Today was supposed to be a day of joy. OG Anunoby is returning to Toronto for the first time, and RJ Barrett is playing against his former team. Perhaps it would be a good time for both sides to shake hands and agree it’s been a win-win trade for each side.
But… the game didn’t want to be that. Midway through the third quarter, Scottie Barnes collided with Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns and rolled his right ankle. He was on the floor for a while before hopping to the locker room. He did not return. While Head Coach Darko Rajakovic did confirm after the game that his x-rays came back negative, there are still more tests to be done before we’re out of the woods. The entire fanbase will be holding their breath for the next update.
The actual game was fun. Raptors rookie Ja’Kobe Walter put on a show, notching a career-high 19 points and showing off the full repertoire offensively. He even flashed some grit on the defensive end.
RJ Barrett put up another 30-point performance but got blocked by OG Anunoby in the dying seconds of the game to tie it. That led to Karl-Anthony Towns hitting a dagger three to finish off the Raptors.
This is the 16th time the Raptors have lost a game by seven or fewer points. The Raptors keep knocking on the door and playing competitive basketball against some of the best teams in the NBA, only for injuries to prevail.
If you’d like to see a more analytical breakdown of Ja’Kobe’s game, RJ Barrett’s performance, and Scottie Barnes’s injury, check out my breakdown on the Raptors Republic Youtube Channel. We are very close to our goal of 12,000 subscribers.
Enjoy!
