TORONTO — Jakob Poeltl made a defensive rebound with 9.1 seconds left in overtime and made an outlet pass to a streaking RJ Barrett. The Toronto Raptors swingman sprinted down court, pulled up at the three-point line, and shot.
Rim. Out.
Offensive rebounds by Ochai Agbaji and Poeltl came up short and the Denver Nuggets 127-125 comeback victory over Toronto was complete.
If Barrett had made the three it would have been the perfect end to his first game in three weeks after missing most of the pre-season and the first three games of the regular season with a sprained shoulder. The 24-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., said he heard footsteps as he crossed half-court and didn't want to have a layup blocked.
"I'm comfortable taking that shot. I'm happy with the shot I took," said Barrett. "That's just who I am. It's who I've always been.
"I'll take the shot again. That's just who RJ Barrett is."
Barrett's miss deflated the 19,082 fans at Scotiabank Arena, who had been on their feet for the final seven minutes of the game.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray of Kitchener, Ont., drove to the net for a layup with 0.1 seconds left in the fourth to tie the game at 114-114 after the Raptors led by as many as 15 points. It punctuated a 13-3 run that got Denver back into the game.
"I told guys that I don't believe in moral victories. I believe in winning," said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. "I thought we competed for the big part of the game.
"Most of the game we competed the right way, and we gave it all we had tonight."
Rajakovic said that it's the coach's responsibility to call a timeout and prevent a low percentage shot like Barrett's three-point attempt from happening. He said he'd rather stop the play and get a structured reset.
When asked if he would have appreciated Rajakovic calling a timeout, Barrett adamantly shook his head no.
"I don't know what player would tell you that," he said. "Everybody would rather have an open court than, playing five-on-five, set defence."
Barrett finished with 20 points, five rebounds and three assists in the spirited overtime loss. Rajakovic was impressed with Barrett's performance.
"You just never know how the player is going to look on the court," said Rajakovic. "I feel that he competed really hard. He got a little bit winded there towards the end of the game.
"We tried to keep his minutes limited tonight as well, but I thought that for a big part of the game, he looked good."
Barrett's return was welcomed by a Raptors team that's been stricken with a raft of injuries to start the season.
Point guard Immanuel Quickley (right pelvic contusion), Kelly Olynyk (back) of Kamloops, B.C., Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery), and Ja'Kobe Walter (sprained shoulder) are all on Toronto's inactive list.
All-star Scottie Barnes may be joining them after he caught an elbow to his right eye with 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter. He had to be helped to the bench after the injury and didn't return to the court.
Barnes was seen leaving Toronto's locker room after the game with a bag of ice on his eye.
It was the end of a physical night for Barnes. He was also the recipient of a flagrant foul by Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook early in the fourth quarter. Westbrook and Barnes started jawing at each other after the play with their teammates, coaches, and officials having to separate them.
"Just talking back and forth, heat of the moment," said Barrett, who was on the court at the time. "Scottie defended himself, as he should.
"I was right there with my one good shoulder getting in the mix."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press