The Raptors may not have recorded a win against the Dallas Mavericks, but the team's fans still have to like what they are seeing from prized rookie Scottie Barnes. (michaelgrange)
star was five years old. The 35-year-old Raptors veteran was just starting his own professional career as a teenager in his native Slovenia and his mentor was Sasa Doncic, who would bring his five-year-old son to the gym.Not too many years passed before Dragic and Doncic were starting together on the Slovenian national team. They won the European championship in 2017, one of the most competitive tournaments in the world. Doncic was 18.
Barnes did seem largely unaffected though he didn’t have the steals, blocks and deflections he’s been known for so far. Barnes was further hampered as he picked up his fourth foul only moments after he hit a pair of third-quarter buckets that looked like they might spark something just as the Mavericks were beginning to assert control of the game in the second half. Instead, Barnes headed to the bench briefly.
Regardless with Barnes coming off a casual 25-point and 13-rebound showing as the Raptors dismantled Boston on top of a steady outing in his professional debut and an impressive pre-season campaign, hey, it’s fun to wonder.If Raptors fans want to convince themselves that Barnes is Magic Johnson with a little more bounce, well, he’s not going to rain on anyone’s dreams.
He didn’t really begin showing it until the third quarter when Doncic – like the great ones do – sensed that the Raptors' legs were getting a little wobbly. He put up 12 points and four assists in a third-quarter burst that helped turn a six-point Raptors lead at half into an eight-point hole before a quick surge by Toronto to close the third quarter cut Dallas’ lead to 74-72 to start the fourth.
The Raptors' bright spot was OG Anunoby, who came into the game shooting 7-of-35 from the floor and 2-of-14 from deep. The fifth-year wing took Kristaps Porzingis – a prodigy-turned-albatross – off the dribble for a dunk on his first touch, got loose for a lay-up a moment later and went on to knock down eight-of-10 first-half shots, including four triples on five attempts for 20 first-half points. But he picked up his fifth foul late in the third quarter and had to go to the bench.
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