The Raptors won’t have Scottie Barnes back when they host the Celtics on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena.
Toronto is trying to shake off a 118-102 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, while Boston arrives fresh off a 123-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. The Celtics’ latest result came in an emotionally charged game, and they bring a four-game winning streak into the matchup.
Barnes has now missed Toronto’s last two games while recovering from the groin injury he suffered against the Denver Nuggets a week ago. The NBA’s injury report says he remains out against Boston, leaving the Raptors without the forward they’ve leaned on for all-around production.
That absence matters. Barnes is averaging 23.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.2 steals, and Toronto has also been missing his defensive edge. He has said his aim is to earn his first nod to the All-Defensive First Team.
The Raptors will need others to carry more of the load, with Kawhi Leonard, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Colin Murray-Bowles, Jakob Poeltl, and Ja’Kobe Walter expected to step in. Quickley and Murray-Bowles were both listed as questionable, with Quickley dealing with a hamstring injury and Murray-Bowles nursing an illness.
Barnes has had success against Boston before, too. According to StatMuse, he has averaged 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.0 steals in 18 games against the Celtics.
Toronto enters at 5-5 overall and 2-2 at home, while Boston sits atop the Eastern Conference at 9-2. The Celtics have also won all four games during their current streak.
Scottie Barnes - Out (left groin strain)
Nate Bittle - Out (right avulsion fracture)
Kawhi Leonard - Out (left knee injury)
Trayce Jackson-Davis - Questionable (illness)
Collin Murray-Boyles - Questionable (illness)
Immanuel Quickley - Questionable (right hamstring injury)
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Raptors Loss Exposes A Bigger Problem Than This Skid
The Raptors latest loss to the 76ers, a 123-113 defeat in Philadelphia, fit the pattern of a team trying to stay afloat without two of its most important pieces. Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes were both sidelined by injuries, which pushed RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley into bigger offensive roles and left Toronto leaning harder on its remaining creators. Even with those efforts, the game ended as the clubs third straight loss.
What stood out most was less the skid itself than how thin the margin looked once the rotation got stretched. Toronto had enough individual production to hang around, but Philadelphias deeper bench gave the Sixers a steadier flow over the course of the night, and the Raptors could not match it. For a team already dealing with injuries, the bigger concern is how quickly the supporting cast gets tested when the top options are unavailable. [Read more 🡒]