The Toronto Raptors‘ hard-fought run in the postseason came to an end on Sunday night following a 114-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the first round. Despite the loss, however, RJ Barrett had nothing but praise for his team and his teammate, Scottie Barnes.
During his postgame media availability, RJ Barrett made sure to give Scottie Barnes his flowers for his dominant performances in the playoffs. While acknowledging the criticism Barnes faced going into the postseason, Barrett responded:
” I think he shut up a lot of talk, and I’m happy he was able to do that because that’s a winning player.”
“Just because he’s not a guy that comes out and tries to get 30 every night does not mean that he’s not one of the best basketball players in this league. He showed and proved he can score every single night if he wants to.”
Barrett noted that when the Raptors’ squad is healthy, there are more than enough players who are capable of scoring, suggesting that there are already enough mouths to feed.
On that note, however, he maintained that Barnes’ ability to become a part of the system and play within the flow of the game is what makes him a winning basketball player.
Both RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes played a crucial role in pushing the Cavaliers into a corner in the first-round matchup. While Barrett averaged 24.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in the playoffs, he was supported by Barnes, who posted 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game.
The Raptors have thrived on Barnes’ development as an elite two-way player. As the star forward continues to grow in stature, Toronto will aim to build upon it.
RJ Barrett’s Takeaway From The Raptors’ Postseason Run
For RJ Barrett and the Raptors, a first-round exit may be disappointing. But pushing a title contender like the Cavaliers to seven games this early in the postseason is nothing short of noteworthy.
The experience gained from this run will prove invaluable moving forward, and RJ Barrett made sure to acknowledge this and his team’s efforts while speaking with the media after the game. When highlighting his takeaways from the series, he stated:
“I think how hard we played. How hard we played, and won, with having a lot of guys that literally had no playoff experience at all, being down one starter, and then two starters. Guys just came in and gave it their all… We’ve always had a ‘next-man-up’ mentality.”
“Obviously, this loss hurts, but I think it also shows the rest of the league, the rest of the world, what it is we’re building in here, and that when you see the Toronto Raptors, you’re going to have a dogfight.”
Even with Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley sidelined due to an injury, the Toronto Raptors managed to secure a win in Game 6, showcasing the team’s resilience. From starters like Ja’Kobe Walter, who posted 24 points in Game 6, to a rookie like Collin Murray-Boyles, who added 17 off the bench, the team’s grit and depth shone in this series.
Although they couldn’t reproduce the results from their previous game in Game 7, there will be a lot of positive takeaways from it. Given how well the Raptors performed this year, the franchise will have a lot to look forward to with this unit.
