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RJ Barrett’s MRI results leads Raptors to sigh of relief on knee injury
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- RJ Barrett’s MRI results leads Raptors to sigh of relief on knee injury
The post RJ Barrett's MRI results leads Raptors to sigh of relief on knee injury appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Toronto Raptors swingman RJ Barrett underwent an MRI of his injured right knee , which revealed no structural damage , the team announced on Wednesday morning. Barrett has been diagnosed with a sprain and will be re-evaluated in seven days.
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This is certainly good news for the Raptors and the 25-year-old, as Barrett's injury drew significant concern when it first occurred.
With 7:34 remaining in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 23, Barrett intercepted a pass and went down to the other end for an easy dunk. After landing, Barrett immediately winced and appeared hobbled by a of right leg injury.
The Raptors would go on to win this game 110-99, their eighth straight victory, but Barrett immediately limped to the bench after this dunk and did not return. Quickly after the injury happened, the Raptors ruled Barrett out with a right knee sprain and said he would undergo further imaging.
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Barrett will now be sidelined through the end of November and miss at least the next four games on Toronto's schedule. He will be re-evaluated on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
In 17 games, all of which he started, Barrett has averaged 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 30.9 minutes per game. He is shooting 50.6 percent from the floor and 35.6 percent from 3-point range, ranking second on the team in scoring behind only Brandon Ingram .
Although his name came up in offseason trade chatter with the future of the Raptors looking uncertain, Barrett has delivered and helped push Toronto to becoming a force once again in the Eastern Conference.
The Raptors are 13-5 entering their NBA Cup game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, marking their best start to the season since starting 14-4 during the 2019-20 season. Every Raptors fan will remember what happened during that year, as Kawhi Leonard , Fred VanVleet , and Pascal Siakam led the team to their first championship in team history.
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Without Barrett, their second-leading scorer, on the court, the Raptors will turn to second-year wing Ja'Kobe Walter as the primary recipient of more minutes. Walter started for Toronto in their previous matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers , finishing with five points and three rebounds in the team's 110-99 win.
Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji will also see their minutes increase alongside Immanuel Quickley and Ingram on the perimeter as long as Barrett remains sidelined.
Further updates on Barrett's status will be provided by the Raptors during the first week of December.
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