The Raptors look set to lose Scottie Barnes to a painful injury

The Toronto Raptors can’t catch a break.

Just when it looked like the Raptors were nearing full strength this season, injury struck again. This time it appears to be Scottie Barnes’ right ankle, which he twisted during an awkward collision with Karl-Anthony Towns in the third quarter Monday night against the New York Knicks.

Barnes tried to grab a rebound and appeared to twist his ankle. He was left writhing in pain before being helped off the field by the team’s medical staff. Unable to put pressure on the foot, Barnes hobbled to the locker room while being supported by two Raptors teammates. He was later ruled out for the rest of the match.

The 23-year-old All-Star has only just returned from an orbital bone fracture he suffered in late October when Nikola Jokic accidentally elbowed him in the right eye. That forced Barnes to miss 11 games before returning late last month.

As of Monday night, Barnes was averaging 21 points, 7.8 assists and 8.7 rebounds per game over 13 appearances this season.

Without Barnes, Toronto went 2-9 earlier this year, falling to the bottom of the NBA standings as the organization dealt with a slew of injuries throughout the roster.

The Raptors remain without Immanuel Quickley, who continues to deal with a UCL sprain and is expected to be out for quite some time. Quickley will have tests done this week to see how he’s progressed before the organization decides on next steps.

If Barnes is forced to miss extended time, the Raptors will likely bump Davion Mitchell back into the starting lineup and rely on Chris Boucher to fill the void in Toronto’s frontcourt.