The Toronto Raptors are already dealing with an injury to Brandon Ingram, but they are also expected to be down one of their other starters.
According to Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic, the Raptors are listing Scottie Barnes as “doubtful” on their injury report with a sprained knee.
Scottie Barnes is DOUBTFUL for tonight’s game versus the Celtics with a knee sprain.
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) January 9, 2026
Barnes could miss game with knee injury
Barnes, 24, is averaging 19.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game with the Raptors this season in 38 appearances. He has not missed a game this season for the Raptors, which is part of the reason the team has done so well this season.
The Raptors are 23-15 to start the season, which has them in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They could move up with a win over the Celtics, but that becomes much harder without Barnes on the floor for the Raptors.
Barnes has been building an All-Star case for himself, which has been defined by flirting with triple-doubles, especially in the last couple of games. He has been playing a centre role with Jakob Poeltl on the sidelines with a back injury, which has helped shape the Raptors offence for the better.
Luckily for the Raptors, they have players capable of filling his shoes if he were to be on the sidelines for a long period of time.
“Scottie Barnes is the only regular Toronto Raptors starter with a positive on-off differential, a fact that doesn’t matter as much as it should because several bench players behind him are more than pulling their weight,” Bleacher Report contributor Grant Hughes wrote.
“Toronto thrives when Gradey Dick, Jamal Shead or Sandro Mamukelashvili is in the game. Though he’s played far less than those three, Jamison Battle is actually the Raps’ on-off king. Toronto’s net rating is a sure-to-regress but nonetheless fascinating 25.1 points per 100 possessions better when the frontcourt sniper is on the floor.
“Toronto’s most-used lineup is its preferred first unit, and that group—Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Barnes and Jakob Poeltl—is a plus-6.3 per 100 possessions, roughly that of a 56-win team. It’s just that one or more of the quintet has been sidelined by injury for a good chunk of the year. Good thing the Raptors have a bench capable of picking up the slack.”
The Raptors return to the court against the Celtics at 7 p.m. ET inside TD Garden. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.
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