Raptors’ Barnes, Murray-Boyles have seminal performances in Game 3 win

The Toronto Raptors frontcourt has a bright future. Hell, it has a bright present.

Scottie Barnes set a new career high in playoff scoring on Thursday with 33 points, while also adding 11 assists, and Collin Murray-Boyles set a Raptors rookie record with 22 points in an exuberant 126-104 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It started for Barnes with jump shooting, canning his first two 3s, along with a couple turnaround jumpers and a pull-up middy. In fact 15 of Barnes’ 17 first-half points came on jump shots, with the other two coming on a pair of free throws.

But as the game turned over a new half, Barnes’ driving game – which has been relentless in its frequency these playoffs – came to life. He drove a closeout and lulled Jarrett Allen to sleep before ducking around him and laying it in. Then he went straight down the gut at and over Evan Mobley for another.

Barnes was shooting, driving, making impeccable dishes for easy looks, and doing it all while both guarding one of the best backcourts in the NBA and helping off them to put out fires elsewhere. Joe Wolfond said it best on twitter: a seminal performance from Barnes.

Meanwhile Murray-Boyles was having a seminal performance of his own, taking it directly at the chest of last season’s Defensive Player of the Year. Eating up space on defence wasn’t enough for him anymore. The moment he saw open court between him and the basket on offence he assaulted it with vigour.

The 20-year-old rookie, I’ll say that again, 20-YEAR-OLD ROOKIE, went straight at Mobley, hit tough push shots over the top of him, ducked into the paint and took it up strong, hammered home lay down passes. He was thirsty for the rim. And yet he could do it both ways, also guiding a pair of finesse push shots into the basket with a soft touch, despite his ravaged left thumb.