Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes would probably like a do-over against the Minnesota Timberwolves after laying an egg in 28 minutes on Sunday at Target Center. The Raptors lost to the Timberwolves, 117-94, and fell to 2-1.
Barnes had zero points, going 0-of-12 from the field, including 0-of-5 from long distance. He had three rebounds, three assists, four steals, and one block.
The 25-year-old forward, however, is not beating himself up about his forgettable showing against the Timberwolves.
“It is what it is. Find ways to get back and still acknowledge that they (Timberwolves) did a fine job defensively. Just come out with something positive,” said Barnes in the video posted by TSN's Josh Lewenberg.
The last time he had failed to score was in 2023 against the Charlotte Hornets. Barnes admitted that he struggled to get going against Minnesota.
“Obviously, I missed a lot of wide-open shots. All my threes were wide open,” added the two-time All-Star.
“My middies weren't falling. They had help in the paint, so I couldn't really try to get all the way to the rim. I obviously missed some easy ones as well. On the defensive end, I feel like I still had a good impact. You look for a positive. It is what it is. Go to the next game and try to dominate.”
Barnes is averaging 17.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks. He is shooting 35.1% from the field.
The Raptors will face the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Barnes is expected to carry a heavy load, along with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, as Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely due to a knee injury.