Barnes steps up in fourth quarter to end road trip with a win
Down three starters the Memphis Grizzlies barely blinked.
If ever there was an example of what a well-built team looks like, the Toronto Raptors had a front-row seat Sunday evening.
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No Ja Morant, no Steven Adams and no Dillon Brooks might make a number of teams take a step back. Not the Grizzlies who turned to Santi Aldama, Tyus Jones, and Xavier Tillman and were not disappointed with the results.
But facing a Raptors team that was desperate to close out their longest road trip of the season on a winning note and hearing all the rumours about just about every man on the roster on the trade block with the trade deadline around the corner, the Grizzlies couldn’t match the visitors down the stretch as Toronto rallied for a 106-103 win.
The fourth quarter was gut check time for the visiting Raptors and they responded.
Scottie Barnes, with just three points through the first three quarters put up 13 in the final frame including four of the final six points with the Grizzlies threatening to send the Raptors home with a loss.
With the win the Raptors finish the trip 4-3, the only winning road trip of seven games or more in team history.
Pascal Siakam led the Raptors with 19 points, but it was Barnes down the stretch and the bench trio of Chris Boucher (17 points), Thad Young (14 points) and Malachi Flynn that kept the team in the game.
Bane had a game-high 26 points while Jackson Jr. had 18, eight boards and four in a losing cause.
But for much of the night the Raptors looked very much like a team playing its seventh game of a taxing seven-game road trip.
Give them credit for finding that necessary gear in the fourth quarter.
THE BENCH
There have been moments this year where the Raptors’ bench has been the bearer of most of the blame for the team’s struggles.
That was definitely not the case Sunday in Memphis.
Led by Chris Boucher, who has had himself an outstanding road trip, the Raptors reserves were the only reason the Raptors were still in the game in the final minutes.
Boucher, Thad Young and Malachi Flynn were the only reserves Nick Nurse called on but all three were up to the task.
Young, who grew up in Memphis looked particularly rejuvenated in this one. Boucher, who took the criticism of the bench somewhat personally, has left little room for criticism throughout this trip routinely chipping in with double-digit point games since the team left Toronto.
The Raptors will now head home and have a little rest before taking on the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
mganter@postmedia.com