Sunday night in Toronto delivered a little bit of everything-dominant performances, tense moments, and an unfortunate injury that left the basketball world holding its breath.
The Raptors came away with a convincing 122-104 win over the Indiana Pacers, but the game took a somber turn when Pacers rookie Johnny Furphy had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair after a frightening injury. It was a jarring moment that paused the action and reminded everyone just how quickly things can change in this league.
But once play resumed, the Raptors locked in-and Scottie Barnes made sure they didn’t let up.
Barnes, who’s been playing at an All-Star level all season, once again showed why he’s become the heart of this Raptors team. He finished the night with a monster stat line: 25 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and four blocks on 12-of-20 shooting. That’s not just a good night-that’s a full-court takeover.
And yet, even with those numbers, the night wasn’t entirely smooth sailing for Barnes. Midway through the game, he found himself in a bit of a battle with Pacers big man Micah Potter.
Potter’s physical defense forced Barnes into a tough miss, and Barnes immediately turned to the officials looking for a whistle that never came. He didn’t get the call-but he got the bucket on the very next possession, answering the moment the way stars do.
That’s been the story of Barnes’ season: resilience, growth, and impact on both ends of the floor. With this latest performance, he tied Ausar Thompson for the most games this season with at least two steals and two blocks-a stat that speaks to just how disruptive he’s been defensively. He’s not just filling up the box score; he’s shaping the flow of games.
After the win, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic didn’t hold back in his praise. “I’ll tell you what,” he said, “Scottie Barnes is the Defensive Player of the Year.
Scottie is an All-Star. Scottie is going to be NBA Finals MVP one day.
Scottie is going to be MVP of this league one day, and I’m calling that now. You can write down the date of when I said that.”
Big words-but if you’ve been watching Barnes this season, they don’t feel out of place.
With this double-double, Barnes now sits fifth on the Raptors’ all-time list with 103 career double-doubles. He’s already racked up 24 this season alone, averaging 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Those are numbers that don’t just earn you accolades-they win you games.
And on a night when the Raptors needed leadership and stability after a scary moment on the floor, Scottie Barnes delivered both.