Raptors get positive injury updates on Scottie Barnes, Gary Trent Jr. ahead of Game 3 vs. Sixers

The Raptors received some positive injury updates on Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent jr. ahead of their NBA Playoffs matchup with the Sixers.

The Toronto Raptors have a tough task ahead of them in their NBA Playoff matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers have raced out to a 2 games-to-none lead over the Raptors, blowing out Toronto in the process. To make matters worse, the Raptors are dealing with injuries, as talented rookie Scottie Barnes, who sprained his ankle in Game 1, and guard Gary Trent Jr, who left with an illness in Game 2, are both on the injury report ahead of the contest. However, head coach Nick Nurse provided positive updates on both Barnes and Trent before Game 3 against the Sixers, as reported by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Sportsnet's Michael Grange.

Nick Nurse said Gary Trent was present at shootaround this morning and will play tonight. Nurse said Trent will start and, like in Game 2, it will be a matter of seeing how he feels as the game goes along. Said his breathing is the biggest issue.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 20, 2022

Gary Trent Jr. will play tonight; Thad Young (thumb) is improved and will play. Scottie Barnes is out of his walking boot. Will he play tonight? ‘maybe’ said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) April 20, 2022

Per Bontemps and Grange, Trent will suit up against the Sixers in Game 3 of their NBA Playoff matchup. Trent played only 10 minutes on Monday and had to exit the game early due to an illness. Nurse said that the Raptors guard's breathing remains the issue, so that could keep his minutes workload a bit lower than usual.

As for Barnes, the rookie was spotted without a walking boot at the Raptors' Wednesday morning shootaround, with Nurse saying that he could “maybe” play against the Sixers. A hefty chunk of Toronto's offense comes from both Barnes and Trent, who averaged a combined 33.6 points per game in the regular season.

Given where things currently stand for Toronto in this NBA Playoff series, they are going to need all hands on deck in Game 3. Barnes and Trent took big steps forward, indicating that the Raptors could be at full strength when they take the court Wednesday night.