One of the best things about NBA games is that they’re full of moments. Those situations are what make the 48-minute journey feel even more rewarding. It’s the equivalent to watching a film and knowing the standout scenes buried within it, rather than having just watched an overarching review or read a synopsis. On Monday, Scottie Barnes delivered a moment (one of the many he’s already accumulated in his rookie season) early in the fourth quarter of the Toronto Raptors’ tussle against the Kyle Lowry-less Miami Heat.
Off of a miss by Tyler Herro, Barnes caught the ball and took off on the break, pushing hard as he usually does. Quickly getting out ahead of all Heat defenders, he saw his chance and took it, picking up his dribble just inside the 3-point line and soaring into the air for a monster jam.
What made the dunk even more impressive was that it was under duress—Herro cut across Barnes just before he launched upwards, swiping fruitlessly at the ball, while Caleb Martin rose up behind him and attempted a block (one he had no real chance at swatting), ultimately colliding with the 20-year-old and sending him sprawling into a fan sitting on the baseline.
“To whoever this lady in the stand is, I hope you are okay,” Barnes tweeted along with a clip of the highlight.
To whoever this lady in the stand is, I hope you are okay🤝😅 https://t.co/PwddYeMtUl
— Scott Barnes (@ScottBarnes561) January 18, 2022
A foul was called on Caleb Martin and a review followed, with officials checking for a potential flagrant. In slow motion, it was much easier to see Martin’s hand first on Scottie Barnes’ back as they were soaring, and then a secondary nudge with from the Heat forward’s right arm as they landed.
Evidently, at least a portion of what occurred didn’t look much like a basketball play, and flagrant fouls in the league have notoriously been called for much less. But they also haven’t been called on some egregious errors, and so it wasn’t much of a surprise when officials decided to stick with their original verdict—a common foul.
“I just felt like it was a hustle play,” the Raptors rookie said. “He tried to get the block. But [Martin] was just running real fast and couldn’t really control himself in that situation. But I don’t feel like it was a flagrant, I feel like it was just a regular foul.”
Barnes has been relatively quiet in recent games due to a number of reasons, including injuries hampering his typical lift and speed. But he reasserted himself against the Heat, dropping 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes of play for the Raptors.
As his quest for Rookie of the Year continues, though, it’ll be the moments that stand out most—the instances of basketball nirvana that accentuate Barnes’ base level of greatness.
“I would say it’s important to me to just try to win Rookie of the Year,” Barnes said, “try to start my legacy off right. That’s just been a goal of mine since the start of the season. It’s something that [all rookies] should be trying to achieve.”
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