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76ers Rival Report: Raptors Lose Star Forward Indefinitely

Originally posted on FanNation All 76ers
By Declan Harris | Last updated 3/2/24

Life has been difficult for Darko Rajakovic and the Toronto Raptors as of late, whether it was the departure of two of their biggest pieces in Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, or a rough run of games.

Their recent stretch of ten games in which they have gone 5-5, has seen them sink to the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference, sitting right behind the Brooklyn Nets outside of the Play-In picture.

If the Canadian side wants to have any hope of a post season, they would have to buckle down and pull out several wins, but with matches against the likes of the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Minnesota Timberwolves amongst others, it's sure to be a challenge.

It appears that the challenge is set to ramp up that much more, as their second-leading scorer in All-Star Scottie Barnes, who will be out 'indefinitely' due to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Raptors say Scottie Barnes has sustained a fracture to the third metacarpal bone of his left hand and is out indefinitely.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 2, 2024

The long term injuries comes as a result of a fractured left hand which occurred in the Raptors' 105-120 loss, following an attempted block by Barnes on a layup from Jonathan Kuminga.

Following his landing from the block attempt, Barnes could be seen clutching his hand, wailing in pain, as he ran off the court.

Prior to his injury, Barnes had been having himself quite the impressive season despite his team's struggles, averaging 20 points on 47 percent shooting, along with eight rebounds and six assists.

When do the Philadelphia 76ers play against the Raptors?

The Sixers and Raptors are set to meet one more time this season on March 31, where Nick Nurse will look to pull off a season series sweep against his former team, having won each of the three previous meetings.

Nurse won't sweat not having to play against Barnes, who has been a thorn in his side this season, averaging 20 points per game and seven rebounds against the Sixers.

This article first appeared on FanNation All 76ers and was syndicated with permission.

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