Toronto Raptors star guard/forward RJ Barrett exited Friday night’s game against the Boston Celtics after suffering a left ankle injury, leaving the Raptors short-handed in a 125-117 road loss. The 25-year-old turned his ankle midway through the fourth quarter while attempting to drive past Boston forward Sam Hauser. Barrett stepped on Hauser’s foot, fell to the court in visible pain, and immediately headed to the locker room for evaluation. He did not return for the remainder of the contest.
“RJ just left the game twisting his left ankle,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said after the game. “We're going to evaluate tomorrow morning and see how he's doing.”
Darko says the team will evaluate RJ Barrett’s left ankle tomorrow morning. https://t.co/YX8r7lbewE pic.twitter.com/GjFAQHfInm
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) January 10, 2026
Before leaving the game, Barrett had played 28 minutes, finishing with 19 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. He shot 6-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, and converted all four of his free throws.
Toronto entered the game without Jakob Poeltl (back), Scottie Barnes (right knee), and Brandon Ingram (right thumb injury). The team's record now stands at 23-16, placing them fourth in the Eastern Conference, 0.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, two games ahead of the Miami Heat, and two games behind the Celtics and New York Knicks. Losing Barrett for an extended period could disrupt the Raptors' strong positioning in the playoff race. Toronto has gone 16-6 in games with Barrett this season, compared to 7-9 in his absence.
Barrett, who returned on December 28 after missing over a month with a right-knee injury, has appeared in 22 games this season, averaging a career-high 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, while shooting 49.6% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range.
Matching Barrett’s 19 points in the loss, Ja'Kobe Walter added six rebounds, Immanuel Quickley recorded a double-double with 17 points and 13 assists, Sandro Mamukelashvili contributed 15 points and eight rebounds, and Jamal Shead chipped in 13 points with eight assists.
Meanwhile, the Celtics, led by Payton Pritchard’s 28 points and eight assists and Jaylen Brown’s 25 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, overcame the Raptors. Boston drained 14 three-pointers and shot 54% from the field, breaking the game open in the second half.
The Raptors will next return home to face the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday at Scotiabank Arena in the first game of a back-to-back series.
