Barnes shines against the Hornets, as Raptors score 3rd straight victory
It’s nights like Thursday’s 124-114 Toronto Raptors win over the Charlotte Hornets where we’re reminded about Scottie Barnes’ star potential.
Over the course of the Raptors’ losing stretch in December and January, head coach Nick Nurse repeatedly mentioned how it’s taken Barnes longer to find his rhythm and attack the rim — often opting for harder shots on the perimeter to start matchups. That wasn’t the case for Barnes versus the Hornets.
Instead, he focused on the paint early, made tough pick-and roll screens and found teammates who shared his exceptional court vision. Toronto was then able to take advantage of this talent. third straight win — a first for the 2022-23 campaign.
“That does a lot, especially just the way he did it with such pace early in the offence,” Nurse said post-game. “I think that really just ignited our pace in general.”
Nurse observed that Barnes was able to find teammates for 3-pointers in the paint. His speed and quickness helped him set up quick actions as the ball moved.
“That’s hard to guard when you’re playing with that kind of pace. Nurse stated, “I think he set that tone.”
Barnes had 21 points and nine assists, which was a record for the night. Barnes’ plus-15 differential was also a game record, surpassing any other Raptor with more than a plus-6.
“I’m really trying to find the best shots,” said Barnes.
Instead of choosing pull-up jumpers that he says he can wear “whenever” he likes, the reigning Rookie Of The Year wanted to make the most of the Hornets’ high ball screen in their matchup.
Right from the jump, Barnes was aggressive, helping the Raptors push the ball “side to side,” but also toward the paint. Barnes’ first four field goals were dunks. He also found teammates to help him with easy buckets in paint or kickouts after collapsing defense for shots on perimeter.
Barnes had a similarly turbulent third quarter. Along with getting poked in the eye — which forced him to the floor for an extended period — he threw down another nasty slam.
Barnes’ ability to find his teammates was part of an overall trend for the Raptors, as they finished with 30 assists — even though Nurse says it could have been 40 with all the solid possessions they created.
The Raptors have recorded 62 assists over their past two contests — the most in a two-game stretch in the 2022-23 campaign.
This time around against the Hornets — after also beating them on Tuesday — the Raptors deployed a steady dose of pick-and-rolls. Nurse said that it was a concerted effort as they tried to run the action in the middle, then hit the roller to apply pressure to the paint. This allowed them to continue their attack and push out.
The Raptors held a large lead Thursday night, sometimes pushing it into double figures. The Hornets were able to bring it down to seven multiple times in the third And fourth quarters — and even as few as five with 1:39 to go in the final frame.
Just like Tuesday night, it was the Hornets’ backcourt tandem of LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier It was that player who led the charge. The former had 32 points and seven assists while the latter scored 21 points.
However, the Raptors’ defensive intensity prevailed, and was consistent with both its starters and bench players. For the third game in a row, no Raptor logged over 40 minutes — a rare feat throughout 2022-23.
Precious Achiuwa Another spark was provided by Nurse off the bench as the centre regained his rhythm after missing 24 games in November through the end 2022. Nurse stated that the centre finished with 10 points, five steals and a career high of five. Nurse continues to work on increasing his minutes.
Barnes also continues to be unique on the defensive end, as he becomes more comfortable guarding the other team’s biggest player — oftentimes their centre.
“I feel like I’m a big guy as well, I got some muscle on me. It’s just about playing with some heart and physicality as well,” said Barnes, noting that he tries to always box his man out, but also push the pace since a lot of big men don’t like running the floor.
The Raptors’ record is now 19-23, which makes them 11th in East. They also win back-to-back games over the Hornets who have the worst conference record.
The Raptors have their worst record of 42 games since 2012-13, but they are now 5-5 in the last 10 and are looking up as they attempt to overcome another poor first half.
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