For the first time this season, the Toronto Raptors will be without both of their star forwards.
After Scottie Barnes (knee) and Brandon Ingram (thumb) were previously listed as doubtful and questionable, respectively, both have been downgraded to out for Friday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics. (Sportsnet ONE, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT).
Barnes suffered a right knee sprain in Wednesday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets. The 24-year-old exited the game in the fourth quarter but ultimately returned shortly after and finished the game.
The former Rookie of the Year has enjoyed a solid fifth season with the Raptors, averaging 19.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks with career-best shooting splits of 50.4/34.7/83.7.
Meanwhile, like Barnes, Ingram suffered his injury against the Hornets. Ingram’s injury initially appeared to occur midway through the first quarter, when he looked as though he jammed his thumb while trying to poke the ball loose from Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic said after the win that Ingram’s X-rays came back negative. The 28-year-old is averaging a team-best 21.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists through 38 appearances.
Both Barnes and Ingram are considered day-to-day.
As for the now-shorthanded Raptors, Friday’s match presents a major seeding opportunity. A victory would move them into a tie for third in the Eastern Conference with a Celtics team they’ve been watching from below for a couple of weeks now.
