Scottie Barnes has hilarious reaction to fourth-quarter heroics against Kevin Durant's Suns

The Toronto Raptors could not have taken down Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns without the efforts of sensational third-year stud Scottie Barnes. While Dennis Schroder's distribution and OG Anunoby's defense of Devin Booker played a part, Barnes put this team over the top.

After a rough first half in which he didn't do much of anything on the offensive end, Barnes came alive in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with 23 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while playing a part in one of Toronto's best defensive games. Both Durant and Devin Booker struggled with efficiency.

Barnes continued his unusual trend of largely being a non-factor offensively for three quarters before stepping up when the Raptors needed it most and taking over to seal victories. If you ask Barnes why that is, he believes that he has some innate toughness inside of him that can't be taught.

"I don't know. I got that dog in me," said Barnes, via TSN. "I get real energized. I just found the rhythm today, just had it going." When Barnes is in a groove offensively late in games, the Raptors' offense becomes more efficient, free-flowing, and exciting to watch.

Scottie Barnes has that "dog" in him after Toronto Raptors beat Suns.

It can be challenging for the dog inside Barnes to come out consistently in this offense, as Darko Rajakovic is still trying to find the best to make Scottie a focal point while getting Pascal Siakam all the touches and shots he needs. One positive is that Rajakovic has figured out enough to let Scottie cook in the fourth quarter.

Barnes ranks 21st in the league in fourth-quarter scoring at 6.7 points per game, which puts him right below Nikola Jokic and right above Anthony Edwards. The next highest-ranked Raptor is Dennis Schroder with 4.0 points per fourth quarter, with Siakam behind him at 3.9. The fourth quarter is Scottie time, plain and simple.

While Barnes has put up gaudier numbers this season, the fact he was able to team with OG Anunoby to shut down the Durant/Booker duo while simultaneously overcoming a sluggish start will only get more Raptors fans hooked on the thought of what he could be as a primary option.

Winning will always be the primary goal, but the clear secondary goal this season is making sure Barnes becomes a star. Considering how he has played on both ends so far this season, Toronto can claim major success in this area.