Raptors' RJ Barrett: Tallies 24 points in Game 1 loss
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Barrett logged 24 points (7-13 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 7-9 FT), three assists, two rebounds and one steal over 32 minutes during the Raptors' 126-113 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs Saturday.
Barrett was quiet in the first quarter with just two points, but he responded by scoring nine points in the second frame and 13 in the second half to lead the Raptors in scoring. He's carrying some momentum from the tail end of the regular season, when he averaged 21.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 threes in 31.5 minutes across his eight games prior to the start of the playoffs.
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Raptors' Jamal Shead: Starting sans Quickley
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Shead is in the Raptors' starting lineup for Game 1 against the Cavaliers on Saturday.
Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) has been ruled out for Game 1, prompting the Raptors to move Shead into the starting lineup alongside Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl. Shead started 12 regular-season games, during which he averaged 11.5 points, 7.5 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 1.8 threes and 1.3 steals over 32.1 minutes per game.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Posts team-high 26 points
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Barrett chipped in 26 points (9-15 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 6-9 FT), three rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes during Sunday's 136-101 victory over the Nets.
Barrett's status was up in the air earlier in the day, but he took the court and helped the Raptors clinch a playoff berth in the lopsided victory. The Raptors have made the playoffs despite a slew of injuries throughout the regular season. Barrett endured a whopping 25 games lost to injury, and the lengthy absences of Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) and Jakob Poeltl also posed challenges. Although Quickley left the game with a hamstring issue, Barrett and the rest of the first unit are healthy as they prepare to take on the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Will play Sunday
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Barrett (knee) is available for Sunday's game against the Nets, Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic reports.
Barrett was unable to play against the Knicks on Friday due to right knee soreness, but he has been given the green light to suit up in Sunday's regular-season finale. In five outings since April 1, Barrett has averaged 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 threes and 0.8 blocks over 33.2 minutes per game.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Questionable versus Nets
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Barrett (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Brooklyn, Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic reports.
Barrett was ruled out shortly ahead of Friday's 112-95 loss to the Knicks, his former team. While the Raptors are fighting to stay out of the Play-In Tournament, Toronto may still be able to allow Barrett to remain off the floor versus one of the defensively vulnerable teams in the league. If that happens, Ja'Kobe Walter could remain in the starting lineup.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Late scratch Friday
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Barrett is out for Friday's game against the Knicks due to right knee soreness, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Barrett is a late scratch from the lineup Friday, and the Raptors may proceed with caution ahead of the postseason. With the star forward sidelined against New York, the likes of Ja'Kobe Walter, A.J. Lawson and Jamal Shead should be more involved.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Chips in 22 points Thursday
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Barrett finished Thursday's 128-114 win over Miami with 22 points (6-15 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 9-10 FT), six rebounds, three assists and two steals over 35 minutes.
Barrett didn't have a great night from three-point range, but he was better inside the arc and was aggressive, resulting in double-digit free-throw attempts for the third time this season (and second in six games since March 31). Barrett has scored at least 20 points in five of his last seven outings, and over that span he has averaged 20.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 threes and 0.9 steals over 32.0 minutes per game.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Leads Toronto with 24 points
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Barrett finished Tuesday's 127-116 loss to Detroit with 24 points (7-12 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 8-10 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one steal over 31 minutes.
Barrett was listed on the injury report due to a left shoulder injury he sustained during Sunday's blowout win against Orlando. He was cleared to play Tuesday, and his shoulder didn't appear to bother him in an efficient night from both the field and charity stripe. Barrett will wrap up the month of March having averaged 21.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 threes and 0.7 steals over 31.0 minutes per game.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Good to go Tuesday
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Barrett (shoulder) will play Tuesday against the Pistons.
Barrett will shed his probable tag for this contest. The wing is averaging 20.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 30.3 minutes per contest in his last nine games.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Upgraded to probable
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Barrett (shoulder) has been upgraded to probable ahead of Sunday's game against Orlando.
Barrett wasn't listed on Saturday's injury report before popping up on it Sunday. While the questionable tag wasn't an encouraging sign, the latest update indicates he will likely be out there versus Orlando. With that in mind, if Barrett suffers a setback and gets ruled out, Collin Murray-Boyles (back), Ja'Kobe Walter or Jamal Shead would presumably move into the starting lineup.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Listed as questionable
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Barrett (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game versus Orlando, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
Barrett briefly exited Friday's 119-106 win over New Orleans due to the shoulder injury but was able to return to finish the contest. While the 25-year-old wasn't listed on Saturday's edition of the injury report, he is now questionable because of left shoulder stiffness. With Brandon Ingram (heel) and Collin Murray-Boyles (back) also questionable, and Immanuel Quickley (foot) unavailable, the Raptors may need Jamal Shead, Ja'Kobe Walter, Sandro Mamukelashvili or Gradey Dick to move into the starting lineup alongside Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Leaves for locker room
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Barrett exited to the locker room in the second quarter of Friday's game against the Pelicans due to an apparent left shoulder issue, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Barrett exited to the locker room with 1:39 remaining in the second quarter after getting tangled up with Zion Williamson while fighting for a rebound. If Barrett is unable to return in the second half, Jamal Shead and Jamison Battle will likely help pick up the slack.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Struggles with shot in loss
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Barrett chipped in 12 points (5-19 FG, 0-7 3Pt, 2-5 FT), six rebounds, four assists and one steal over 32 minutes during Wednesday's 119-94 loss to the Clippers.
Barrett was heavily involved on offense, but the fact that he scored 12 points while attempting 19 field goals tells you all you need to know about his struggles. Barrett's prominent role on the Raptors' offensive scheme won't change any time soon, and he certainly won't see a diminished role for one subpar outing. The star forward is averaging 21.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor over his last 10 games, so there's a high chance this was nothing more than an off night for the seven-year veteran.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Strikes for team-high 27 in win
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Barrett amassed 27 points (10-15 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 3-7 FT), two rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes during Monday's 143-127 victory over Utah.
The 27 points led the way for the visitors as four different Toronto players scored 20 or more. Barrett has drained at least one three-pointer in 14 straight games, averaging 21.5 points, 5.4 boards, 2.7 assists and 2.0 threes over that stretch while shooting 56.3 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Extends impressive streak
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Barrett contributed 23 points (9-15 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists and one block over 27 minutes during Wednesday's 139-109 win over Chicago.
Barrett reached the 20-point mark for a third straight game, and he's hit this threshold in eight of his last nine outings. Barrett doesn't offer a ton of value in other categories outside of scoring and perhaps rebounding, but he'll have solid upside as long as he continues to score the rock. Barrett is averaging 23.3 points per game while shooting 59.3 percent from the floor in his last nine contests.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Strong line in win
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Barrett registered 27 points (11-17 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one steal over 39 minutes during Sunday's 119-108 victory over the Pistons.
Barrett has been on a heater in March. Over seven appearances in that span, he's shooting 60.0 percent from the field to go with averages of 23.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.9 three-pointers in 33.7 minutes per contest.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Scores season-high 31 points in win
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Barrett racked up 31 points (13-19 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 2-4 FT), six rebounds, three assists and one steal in 34 minutes during Sunday's 122-92 victory over the Mavericks.
Barrett was hot from the jump, dropping in 16 points on 10 shots by halftime, and he essentially got whatever he wanted throughout the game. He's been heating up over the past four, scoring 24.3 points per game on 63.9 percent shooting from the field and 62.5 percent at the stripe to go with 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 triples per contest.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Leads Raps with 25 points in loss
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Barrett posted 25 points (9-14 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds and one block over 30 minutes during the Raptors' 115-107 loss to the Timberwolves on Thursday.
Barrett scored 10 points in each of the second and fourth quarters of Thursday's game, leading the Raptors in scoring while finishing as the team's second-leading rebounder behind Jakob Poeltl (seven). Barrett has scored at least 20 points in four of his last five outings, and over that span he has connected on 53.5 percent of his field-goal attempts (including 47.8 percent from three on 4.6 3PA/G).
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Drops 20 points in loss
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Barrett provided 20 points (9-13 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds and three assists over 37 minutes during Tuesday's 111-95 loss to the Knicks.
Barrett scored at least 20 points for the third time in the past four games, although his peripheral numbers were once again underwhelming. While his scoring has been adequate this season, Barrett's lack of production across the board continues to drag down his overall fantasy appeal. Despite averaging 18.1 points per game, he has barely been a top-200 player through 37 appearances.
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Raptors' RJ Barrett: Team-high 21 points in loss
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Barrett recorded 21 points (8-15 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block over 34 minutes during the Raptors' 116-107 loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.
It was a nice bounce-back performance for Barrett after his seven-point outing against the Bucks on Sunday, with the veteran forward leading the Raptors in both scoring and rebounds. It was just the third time he's scored 20-plus points in 11 outings since returning in mid-January from a seven-game absence due to a right knee injury. Scottie Barnes sustained a bruised right quad in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's loss, so Barrett would likely take on an expanded role against the Spurs on Wednesday if the former is unable to play.
