The Nuggets have reason to be frustrated after opening their season with back-to-back losses, but it was Raptors star Scottie Barnes who nearly let his emotions get the best of him as Toronto tried to fend off Denver on Monday night.
Barnes got into a scuffle with Aaron Gordon after trying to get in Russell Westbrook’s face, finding himself in the middle of a skirmish that ultimately involved everyone on the court.
The Raptors led by five when Barnes got into it with the Nuggets veterans, and they nearly sent Denver to 0-3 in what would’ve been a sizable upset. Denver forced overtime behind a last-second layup from Canadian guard Jamal Murray and prevailed 127-125.
JAMAL MURRAY SEND IT TO OVERTIME.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 29, 2024
Here’s a look at the bad blood between the Raptors and Nuggets from Monday’s game.
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Raptors-Nuggets fight video
Barnes took exception to a hard foul from Westbrook, quickly getting back up off the baseline and jawing with the former MVP.
Gordon stepped in and went after Barnes, with the pair attempting to do some pushing and shoving before assistant coaches put a quick end to the incident. An official stepped in between Barnes and Gordon, and Barnes was pulled away from the scrum by Raptors coaches.
Scottie Barnes, Russell Westbrook, and Aaron Gordon exchange words. 👀
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 29, 2024
Interestingly, Barnes’ teammates eventually stepped in to separate him from Westbrook on Monday but weren’t quick to defend him like Gordon defended Westbrook. Barnes seemed to be on his own in taking issue with Westbrook’s foul, but he wasn’t going to let it slide.
It was only the start of a physical night for Barnes, as he later took an inadvertent elbow from Nikola Jokic to the face and had to leave the game. On the court, though, Barnes did all he could. He finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, and five steals to keep the Raptors right there with the Nuggets.
The Raptors have seen Barnes come into his own as a franchise leader since the start of last season, but winning still eludes Toronto as Masai Ujiri and the front office try to build around the Florida State product.
