Raptors vs Clippers: Scottie Barnes probable despite hip soreness
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Scottie Barnes moved from questionable to probable for Monday's game at the Clippers, per RotoWire.
- Kawhi Leonard is out with knee injury management. He misses his return game in Los Angeles.
- The Clippers ruled out six players, including Rui Hachimura and Brandon Ingram.
Scottie Barnes will likely play on Monday night. The Raptors upgraded him to probable about one hour before tipoff, according to RotoWire. He had been listed as questionable with left hip soreness.
The game is at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Tipoff was set for 10:00 PM ET, per ClutchPoints. Both teams played the night before, so tired legs were a real concern.
What happened
Barnes scared Raptors fans on Sunday night. He played 36 minutes in a 131-125 loss to the Lakers, per TSN. He led Toronto with 29 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
After that game, Toronto listed him as questionable. The reason was left hip soreness and tightness, according to TSN. There was a real chance he would miss his first game of the season.
Then came the good news. RotoWire reported that Barnes was upgraded to probable. The report was published about one hour before Monday's tipoff.
The upgrade from questionable to probable is a good sign. It shows he is moving in the right direction.
Barnes has been Toronto's best player this season. He is averaging 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, per TSN. He has played in all six of the Raptors' games so far.
RJ Barrett helped on Sunday too. He had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, per Athlon Sports.
Raptors are thin behind Barnes
The Raptors may still be short on Monday. Jakob Poeltl is also listed as questionable, per TSN. He has left shoulder bursitis.
He was a late scratch before tipoff against the Lakers on Sunday.
Poeltl is averaging 4.6 points and 5.8 rebounds this season, per TSN. If Poeltl sits again, Murray-Boyles and Jackson-Davis could see bigger roles, per Athlon Sports.
Kawhi Leonard is out for sure. Toronto ruled him out with knee injury management, per Athlon Sports. This was set to be his return game in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
He will now wait for another chance.
Toronto also lists Nate Bittle as out. Malachi Smith will not play either. The Raptors entered the night with a 3-3 record, per Athlon Sports.
Clippers rule out six players
The Clippers have it worse. The team's official injury report listed six outs for Monday. Athlon Sports shared the full report.
Rui Hachimura is out with left quad soreness. He led the Clippers on Sunday with 24 points and seven rebounds. Missing him on the second night of a back-to-back hurts.
Brandon Ingram is out as well. He is still recovering from right heel surgery. He has yet to play this season.
The full list of Clippers outs is long. Bradley Beal is out with right knee injury management. Derrick Jones Jr.
is out with right knee soreness. Jordan Miller is out after left rotator cuff surgery. Yanic Konan Niederhauser is out after right Lisfranc surgery.
There is one bit of good news for Los Angeles. Max Strus is available, per Law Murray of The Athletic. That is exactly four weeks after his original timeline, per ClutchPoints.
Why it matters
Barnes is the engine of this Raptors team. He scores, rebounds, and creates for others. Toronto sits at 3-3 and wants to climb above the .500 line.
Without Barnes, the offense would run through a thinner group.
The Clippers are desperate. They entered Monday with a 1-5 record, per Athlon Sports. They lost on Sunday night to the Golden State Warriors.
That followed a stretch of poor results at home.
Both teams played on Sunday. Back-to-back games test a team's depth. That is why injuries matter so much here.
The team with more healthy bodies has a real edge in the fourth quarter.
This was also supposed to be a special night for Kawhi Leonard. He would have faced his old team in Los Angeles as a Raptor. The knee injury took that story off the table, per ClutchPoints.
Sunday's Lakers game showed how thin Toronto can get. That game came right after Luka Doncic's historic night against the Raptors. Now Toronto must reset fast.
The Clippers know the feeling, after the Lakers' 103-87 win over the Clippers last week. For context on tonight's other LA game, see our Heat vs Lakers preview.
What happens next
The game tipped off at 10:00 PM ET on Monday. If Barnes played and Poeltl sat, the Raptors' bench bigs became the key watch. Their minutes decided how Toronto handled the Clippers' size.
For the Clippers, the question is simple. Can they win with so many players out? Strus returning helps.
But losing Hachimura, Ingram, and Jones in one night is a lot to cover.
A Toronto win would move the Raptors above the .500 line. That is a strong start to a tough road trip. A Clippers win would stop the slide.
The home crowd would get something to cheer.
Either way, the injury news will keep coming. The next injury reports arrive before each team's next game. For now, Raptors fans can breathe easier.
Their best player is likely to suit up.
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