Scottie Barnes dominates defensively versus the Atlanta Hawks

The Raptors have now won five of their last six games and swept the Hawks in Atlanta.

It’s been quite the month and it’s because Scottie Barnes is back to playing like an All-Star.

Barnes put up another masterclass versus Atlanta, putting up 24 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks in 32 minutes of action. That somehow doesn’t even show the full extent of his impact on the defensive end as he helped shut down the Hawks throughout the weekend.

RJ Barrett chipped in, pouring in 23 points on 13 shots while adding in eight rebounds and four assists. Davion Mitchell and Jakob Poeltl won their minutes again as starters, while Gradey Dick struggled in this one and was subbed out quickly by Darko Rajakovic on multiple occasions because of a few defensive miscues.

That said, the Raptors bench continues to dominate. Toronto’s bench has scored 40+ points in six straight games. Tonight, Chris Boucher led the way with 23 of the Raptors 43 second-unit points in just 21 minutes of action, knocking down three of his four triples.

10-day big man Orlando Robinson stepped up for the injured Kelly Olynyk and played an excellent 20 minutes of basketball, chipping in four points, blocking two shots, and deterring many more. Bruce Bruce was a +27 in 27 minutes also.

The Raptors forced Trae Young into 11 turnovers tonight and it was thanks to Jamal Shead and Davion Mitchell and their defensive prowess at the point of attack.

But it all starts with Scottie defensively, and he’s back to playing All-Defense basketball.

If you’d like a more in-depth breakdown of Scottie’s performance, Robinson’s impressive play, and more, check out Esfandiar Baraheni’s recap on the Raptors Republic’s YouTube channel and subscribe to the channel for more content like it.

Enjoy!

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