Key Takeaways:
- The Toronto Raptors may be missing guard Gary Trent Jr., as well as forwards Scottie Barnes and Thaddeus Young, for Game 2 of their NBA playoff series with the Philadelphia 76ers.
For Match 2 of their NBA playoff series with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Toronto Raptors might be without guard Gary Trent Jr. as well as forwards Scottie Barnes and Thaddeus Young.
Barnes (ankle) and Young (thumb) were both injured in the Sixers’ 131-111 Game 1 thrashing, while Trent Jr. struggled with a non-COVID ailment.
According to Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, all three players are unlikely to play Monday in Philadelphia.
On Sunday, Nurse told reporters, “Listen, it doesn’t look good for those people.” “They’ll all be categorized as “probably questionable.” As a result, none of them seem to be in decent shape. However, we’ll assess it as we go, and ideally, we’ll be able to see where we finish up.”
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Barnes enjoyed a fantastic playoff start, with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. The Sixers’ 280-pound center Joel Embiid landed on his foot, sending him sprawled on the floor in agony with approximately nine minutes remaining to play.
Young was caused to leave the game in the second quarter after injuring his thumb.
Trent Jr., who averaged 18.3 points per game during the regular season, struggled in his playoff debut, scoring nine points on 2-for-11 shooting in 26 minutes.
“Give him a lot of credit for going out there and giving it his best last night,” Nurse said of Trent Jr. “He was suffering, as you could all tell.” “So I applaud him for going out there and being a little more manly. But as we get here, we’ll see where we stand with him.”
Meanwhile, the team was waiting for the results of the MRIs that Barnes and Young had on Sunday.
All-star guard Fred VanVleet, who missed 11 of Toronto’s final 24 regular-season games due to a bruised knee, said the Raptors are used to dealing with injuries and adversity.
“You might want all your best players at this time of year,” he added. “But we’ll see what the situation is, find out who’s in, who’s out in the morning, and then it’ll be time for someone else to step up.”
VanVleet said the club has dealt with adversity all year and will have to do it again on Monday night when they are short-handed.
In Game 1, the Raptors appeared to be overpowered by the 76ers, and VanVleet confessed that the club was “a little soft and a little slow” on the road, which he attributes to the Raptors’ inexperienced lineup.
“Let’s not forget that we’re a youthful team. I know we played well and got hot towards the end of the year, but this was a fantastic wake-up call for a lot of guys. “VanVleet, who had 18 points and six assists in the first game, acknowledged as much.
The third and fourth games of the series will be played in Toronto on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.
Source: CTV news
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