Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes saw his night get cut short as his team narrowly lost 112-109 to the Miami Heat on Saturday night. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year left the court midway through the second quarter after suffering a sprain on his right ankle.
Barnes underwent an X-ray following the conclusion of the game, however, the result came back negative. According to Raptors coach Nick Nurse, it remains unclear whether Barnes will require an MRI as well as the severity of his injury.
With 5 minutes and 15 seconds left on the clock in the second quarter, Barnes collapsed after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a layup. He immediately left the court, sitting on the bench during an injury timeout before returning to the court to take a free throw which he missed. Following the free throw, Barnes left the court and headed for the locker room where he remained for the rest of the game.
“You never want to lose a guy,” coach Nurse exclaimed. “Obviously he goes out and they’re talking about X-rays right away so you’re concerned it could be something really serious. We’ll just see.”
Last season, Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, beating Cleveland’s Evan Mobley to become Rookie of the Year.
