Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam own Kevin Durant in Raptors loss

Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors locked horns with the Brooklyn Nets in one of the most unusual games you’ll see all year long. While Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam had to carry a team hampered by injuries, Kevin Durant’s Nets had just eight active players due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

Even though the Nets were forced to give two-way players like Kessler Edwards extended playing time without big names like LaMarcus Aldridge and James Harden, Brooklyn managed to pull out the 131-129 victory in overtime. Toronto lost despite the starters combining for 113 points.

Even with such a tough result, fans could take solace in the fact that both their max player in Siakam and their rookie sensation in Barnes were able to show out. They both created some highlight-reel plays at the expense of Durant.

Barnes got in on the fun late in the third quarter, scoring on Durant in an isolation situation by getting a nice hook shot near the rim. Seeing Barnes’ growth from a subpar scorer at Florida State to a legit offensive weapon in the NBA has been one of the most pleasurable parts of this season.

Scottie Barnes was one of the standouts for the Toronto Raptors.

Barnes finished the game with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. Given the totality of the circumstances with so many players injured, this may have been Barnes’ finest game as a professional. Not only is he making strides as a shooter, but he is taking and making those shots in critical moments.

While VanVleet did his part to get the Raptors back in the game with 31 points and nine assists, Siakam also put together a solid 25 points on 12-21 shooting. There are two points in this game that stand out above the rest.

Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam dunked all over Kevin Durant.

During Toronto’s 44-point third quarter, Siakam obliterated Durant in transition with a two-handed finish. While KD eventually got the last laugh with a 34-point triple-double, Siakam was able to posterize him. Very rarely does Durant end up on the wrong end of a highlight-reel play like this.

The Raptors may not have pulled out the win, but Siakam showed how lethal he can be on the offensive end and Barnes continued to shine. In a season that is about development as much as it is about wins and losses, both of those two things were very encouraging to see.