Scottie

Barnes

Barnes’ 14th assist of Game 6 was his most important, as a pass to RJ Barrett led to a three-pointer that gave Toronto a 112-110 lead with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime. That shot would stand as the game-winner, sending the series back to Cleveland for a Game 7 on Sunday. Barnes, who finished Game 6 three rebounds shy of a triple-double, has been the best player in this series so far. And another performance like the one he produced on Friday will give Toronto a shot at advancing.

Barnes played through a right quad contusion that he suffered during the second quarter of Wednesday’s Game 5 defeat. Following the game, he said that he’ll be fine for Game 6, and the Raptors have not even included Barnes on the initial injury report. With Toronto’s season on the line, Barnes will take on his usual workload, if not exceed it.

Barnes may have recorded his second double-double of the series on Wednesday, but the Raptors’ star was not his usual self. He took a hit to the right quad during the second quarter and was hobbled the rest of the way, gutting out 39 minutes. When asked about the injury after the defeat, Barnes made it clear that he’ll be ready for Game 6 on Friday. The Raptors need a win to extend the series to a decisive Game 7, which would be played on Sunday in Cleveland.

Both teams struggled to score in Sunday’s contest, but behind Barnes’ 23 points, the Raptors did just enough to win and even the series. The fifth-year forward earned nearly half of his points total at the charity stripe, with the remainder coming inside the three-point line. He tallied more rebounds and assists than any other Raptors player and was impactful on the defensive end of the floor. Now tied at two games apiece, the series flips back to Cleveland for Game 5, where Barnes will look to lead his team to a third straight victory.

Barnes put on an offensive clinic on Thursday. In his 35 minutes, he tallied double-digit assists and only one turnover, while using a trio of three-point shots to help efficiently match RJ Barrett’s 33 points. Barnes was solid on the glass and collected a couple of stocks in the process, leaving him with a well-rounded performance in the win. He’ll look to land similar production on Sunday in Game 4.

While Barnes scored 21 points in Game 1, he was also responsible for five of the Raptors’ 17 turnovers. He committed four more turnovers in Game 2 but shot the ball better, making over 50 percent of his attempts from the field. If the Raptors are to win this series, they may need more from Barnes defensively, as starting center Jakob Poeltl has struggled and did not play at all in the second half of Monday’s defeat. Barnes is certainly a capable defender, but Evan Mobley is a challenging matchup.

Barnes had 21 points on 14 attempts from the field and three three-pointers. The 24-year-old small forward also had seven assists, but he also had five turnovers. Barnes was a game-worst -22 in his 32 minutes on the floor. The Raptors will need Barnes to take better care of the ball if they’re going to make this a series.

In the regular season finale, Barnes put up his third triple-double of the season, which was his first since December. That was enough to get the win for the Raptors and push them up to the No. 5 seed in the East, which sets them up to take on the Cavaliers in round one. Barnes has been incredible this season and has been a big reason for Toronto’s success. They’ll need him at his best to have a chance to pull the upset against Cleveland.

Barnes did not record any defensive stats against the Knicks, marking two consecutive games without a steal or a blocked shot. With the Raptors’ forward being among the league leaders in combined steals and blocks, fantasy managers in active leagues certainly expected more from Barnes. If there’s a positive to take from Friday’s defeat, it’s that the Raptors will likely need to play their regulars in Sunday’s season finale against the Nets as they look to secure a top-6 seed in the East.

Having scored 14 points or less in four straight games, Barnes snapped out of his slump on Tuesday. The 25 points were the most in a game for the All-Star forward since February 8, when he hit that number in a win over the Pacers. However, while it was good to see Barnes get untracked as a scorer, his ability to fill a stat line is what makes him so valuable in fantasy leagues. He’s tallied at least five assists and one steal in each of his last seven games.