TORONTO — Darko Rajakovic cut straight to the chase in his pre-game news conference: yes, Scottie Barnes is back.
Barnes was inserted into the Toronto Raptors starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scotiabank Arena. He had been out since Nov. 4 with a fractured right orbital bone.
"I don't want Scottie Barnes to be anything outside of Scottie Barnes," said Rajakovic in his pre-game news conference."I just need him to be best version of himself and when he's that, he's really raising the people around him to another level.Barnes was injured in the fourth quarter of Toronto's 121-119 overtime loss to the Nuggets on Nov. 4 when he caught an errant elbow from Denver centre Nikola Jokic.
The 23-year-old all-star forward was averaging 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and six assists per game before he was hurt. Rajakovic said Barnes would play limited minutes and that he'd have to wear protective goggles."Scottie will start. Who knows who won’t," laughed Rajakovic. Rookie combo guard Ja'kobe Walter was also made available for the Raptors. He had missed Toronto's last six games with a sprained right shoulder.John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
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