Scottie Barnes has lived up to his status as the Raptors’ franchise centerpiece in their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was instrumental to the Raptors’ 126-104 win in Game 3 and led his team to a gritty 93-89 Game 4 victory to tie the series 2-2 before going back to Cleveland.
Barnes currently leads the Raptors in minutes, points, assists, and blocks per game, impacting every aspect of the matches as the team’s go-to defender and top offensive creator.
With four consecutive 20-point games, including a 33-point outing in Game 3, Barnes has put his name in the Raptors’ history books. According to Raptors reporter Josh Lewenberg, Barnes is now the first Raptors player to start a playoff run by scoring at least 20 points in four consecutive games.
Not even Kawhi Leonard started off his playoff run in 2019 in that way. His streak was interrupted by a 16-point game in Game 3 of the Raptors’ first-round series against the Orlando Magic. Leonard only scored fewer than 20 points twice in the Raptors’ run to the championship, though, and regularly put up over 30 points, including two 40-point games.
This is yet another sign that Barnes is slowly but surely playing his way into Raptors greatness. He will only get more comfortable and more impressive the more time he spends leading a team on both ends of the floor.
The Raptors need Barnes to keep his streak alive
The Raptors find themselves in a great position going into Game 5. They tied the series, creating an even playing field as they head back to Cleveland, and boosted their chances of completing the upset.
However, the Cavs will be desperate not to lose a third consecutive game, especially not in their home arena, and the Raptors can’t expect James Harden and Donovan Mitchell to combine for 12-38 shooting and 11 turnovers again.
So, they will need to keep up the defensive intensity and continue to force turnovers. But defense isn’t everything. They need to put points on the board and have players who can match Mitchell’s and Harden’s usual offensive output. Those players have been Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett so far.
Barnes cannot take the foot off the gas now. The Raptors need him to score at a high level to keep the series as competitive as they made it in Game 3. It’s a big ask, considering everything he does as a defender and playmaker, but he has shown that he can do it.
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