"I’m in disbelief": Raptors' Barnes earns first-ever ejection in puzzling fashion
Scottie Barnes has experienced the first ejection of his NBA career. And in puzzling fashion, too.
Barnes was ejected in the final seconds of a 118-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. The Toronto Raptors star was ejected after teammate Jakob Poeltl was called for a foul by baseline referee Scott Foster with just 28.3 seconds left and the Raptors down 114 to 113.
Barnes is averaging 15.3 points, seven rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game through 63 games this season.
I’m in disbelief🤦🏽♂️
— Scott Barnes (@ScottBarnes561) March 7, 2023
“I was just saying something to myself and I guess he took offence to it and took me out the game,” Barnes, the NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year, said postgame. “I was just talking to myself.”
Foster said Barnes “was ejected on one technical foul because he used verbiage that which directly questioned the integrity of the crew,” according to the pool report interview conducted by Vinny Benedetto of the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Scottie Barnes was ejected for the first time in his career on this play in the final seconds of the game. pic.twitter.com/ebyhWL9Twt
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 7, 2023
The ejection was costly for the Raptors.
“I think it was a great game that looked like it was coming down to a great ending and it was a little bit unfortunate that we didn’t get to see a good ending,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse said postgame. “Especially on the one Scottie got ejected on. There was absolutely nothing there. Nothing.
“Scottie wasn’t involved. They called the foul on [Poeltl]. There was nothing there. Tough breaks at the end.”
I’m in disbelief🤦🏽♂️
— Scott Barnes (@ScottBarnes561) March 7, 2023
The Raptors are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-34 record, and are five games back of the Brooklyn Nets for the sixth seed with 16 games left on the schedule.
Seeds seven through 10 in each conference are relegated to the play-in tournament.
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