Scotty Barnes avoided an injury scare against the Bucks after negative thumb X-rays

On Tuesday evening, Toronto Raptors they were very good against a The Milwaukee Bucks are coming off an emotional game in the first set consecutively. They led by double digits, with a balanced effort to do so for the Raptors. But it was a bit of a nervous moment for them, with Scottie Barnes has to leave the game for a short time after feeling a problem with his left thumb.

But Raptors fans can breathe a little easier now that Barnes is back on the hardwood. As reported by ClutchPoints NBA Insider Brett Siegel, Barnes underwent X-rays to check for a fractured thumb, and they returned negative. The blow Barnes dealt with is now being called a thumb strain, and he simply has his thumb wrapped to try to prevent further damage.

Barnes is key in the Bucks matchup because he is the rare player with the size and strength to at least give Giannis Antetokounmpo a pass. His influence showed in the box score; he was a team-best +19 in the first half, and his two-way play was key to the Raptors’ 73-48 halftime lead.

The only concern for the Raptors is that he has had issues with the same arm in the past. He broke his middle finger towards the end of the 2023-24 season, bringing his campaign to a premature end, and he is now dealing with some thumb issues. That left arm of his must be so battered and bruised that Toronto’s medical staff has to closely monitor his every hit.

At the time of this writing, the Raptors still hold a huge lead over the Bucks in the third quarter, 102-80 with less than a minute left.

Can the Raptors land this assortment of talent?

The Raptors have a bloated roster, so that means they have to win a lot of games and even make the playoffs. They need to find a way to make this assortment of talent work, however, especially when there are misunderstandings between some of their key players.

But the good news is that there may be too much talent for this team not to at least post a winning record on the year. Barnes is a two-way force, Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett are incredible offensive talents, and Jakob Poeltl is back to anchor the defense.