Scottie Barnes puts on masterclass versus Hawks

The game was tied late in the fourth quarter, and then… the Raptors All-Star took over.

Scottie Barnes poured in 11 points and added on a clutch three and block to seal the win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night, finishing the game with 25 points, six rebounds, and three assists in 38 minutes of action.

The Raptors, overall, played a really well-rounded offensive game versus the Hawks, dishing out 32 assists on 47 made shots and dominating in every statistical category except turnovers, where they committed 19 on the night.

The rest of the starters added in 49 points, led by Jakob Poeltl, who put up 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and four stocks in 28 minutes. Gradey Dick was also on fire to start this game, finishing with 15 points. Davion Mitchell was a team-high +17 in 31 minutes of action, guarding Trae Young the entire night.

But the Raptors bench was the real star of the show once again. Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and Chris Boucher combined for 46 points and sparked a massive run for the Raptors in the second quarter. The connection between Brown and Olynyk was particularly fruitful as they connected on nine assists total, mostly between each other. However, Olynyk left the game with a calf strain, and it did not return.

That is now the Raptors’ fourth win in five games, the first time they’ve done that since April of 2023. They’ve won five games in the month of January and are 12-32 on the season.

With the trade deadline looming and their trade pieces playing well, perhaps this is the perfect time for the team to pivot.

For a more detailed analysis of the game and these topics, check out Esfandiar Baraheni’s video on the Raptors Republic’s YouTube Channel and subscribe for more videos like it.

Enjoy!

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