The Toronto Raptors fell short to the Boston Celtics 120-118 on Dec. 29.
Despite the loss, Scottie Barnes once again shined for Toronto.
Barnes got off to a slow start, but then he turned it on in the second half and helped the Raptors stay competitive against the Celtics.
Barnes once again finished with a stat-stuffing performance:
Scottie Barnes in a loss vs the Celtics:
30 PTS
10 REB
5 AST
1 STL
3 BLK
10/24 FG
7/15 3PT
3/4 FT
38 MINHis career-high in 3-pointers made!🔥 pic.twitter.com/qxZjFz0vhf
— NBA Muse (@NBAMuseAcc) December 30, 2023
He hit a career-high 7 three pointers on a career-high 15 attempts.
He is now shooting it an incredible 40 percent from beyond the arc on 6 attempts per game.
As Jackson Frank puts it Barnes isn’t just hitting wide open looks. He’s hitting threes in many different ways:
Scottie Barnes’ shooting growth is truly astounding. This isn’t a guy simply taking + making a bunch more wide open spot-up 3s. This is a guy relocating, shooting off movement + drilling jumpers over tight closeouts.
7 of 15 tonight, up to 40% this season on 6 attempts per game. pic.twitter.com/KDgd2LHT1f
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) December 30, 2023
One of the biggest question marks coming into this season for Barnes was if his shooting was going to improve, especially his three-point shooting. Well, he has drastically improved from the outside.
He shot it 28.1 percent from downtown last season and right now he is shooting it 39.5 percent from deep. An insane leap from Barnes.
Barnes among leaders in most points scored in fourth quarter
Barnes isn’t just shooting the three ball well, he’s also putting up a ton of points when it matters.
He is among the leaders for most points scored in the fourth quarter this season:
Most 4th quarter points this season:
241 – Giannis (59.1% FG)
240 – Trae Young (43.8% FG)
228 – Tyrese Maxey (51.0% FG)
212 – DeMar DeRozan (49.6% FG)
204 – LeBron James (57.7% FG)
196 – Scottie Barnes (54.3%)
195 – Steph Curry (45.8% FG)
194 – De’Aaron Fox (46.3% FG) pic.twitter.com/6je1Ynk4CQ— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) December 30, 2023
The third year forward is truly having a special season and it keeps getting better.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
