By Canadian Press

Barnes scores 21 and Trent Jr., makes late defensive save as Raptors edge Magic

Oct 29, 2021 | 6:42 PM

TORONTO — Scottie Barnes had 21 points and nine rebounds and Gary Trent Jr., added 19 points and a game-saving defensive play as the Toronto Raptors hung on for a 110-109 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday night at Scotiabank Arena.

The Magic inbounded the ball with five seconds left but Trent knocked it into the Orlando backcourt. Cole Anthony retrieved it and his heave from the mid-court line was off the mark.

Fred VanVleet had 19 points and six assists for the Raptors, who split their four-game homestand. OG Anunoby chipped in with 16 points.

Anthony scored 24 points for the Magic, one of six Orlando players to hit double figures in scoring. Jalen Suggs had 21 points and Wendell Carter Jr., had 17.

A three-point play from VanVleet gave Toronto (3-3) an eight-point lead with 4:18 to play. However, the Magic continued to use their deep shooting — Orlando hit 16 three-pointers in the game — to keep things close. 

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VanVleet hit two three-pointers of his own late in the quarter, the latter coming at 2:04 to give Toronto a 12-point lead, its largest of the game. 

A four-point play from Suggs with 52 seconds left after an Anunoby foul cut Toronto’s lead to four. Franz Wagner hit a three-pointer with 33 seconds left to make it a one-point game.

It was Toronto’s ninth straight win over the Magic, a streak that dates back to Feb. 24, 2019. The Magic (1-5) have dropped three games in a row.  

The leadup to the game focused on the rookie battle between Barnes and Suggs, taken fourth and fifth respectively in the last NBA draft. 

Both players started the game and it was Barnes who made the early impact. He scored Toronto’s first seven points and added four rebounds in the first five minutes. 

The Raptors closed out the opening quarter on a 9-0 run for a 23-20 lead. 

Early in the second quarter, Barnes really got the attention of the sellout crowd of 19,800. He ran the length of the floor before delivering a one-handed dunk that gave Toronto a 30-25 edge. 

The Raptors struggled in the early going to contain Magic centre Mo Bamba, who had a double-double locked up midway through the second quarter. Toronto was also poor from distance, hitting only three of 17 three-point attempts in the first half.

Barnes went to the locker-room area late in the second quarter after an eye poke but returned to start the third quarter. Toronto took a 54-51 lead into the break. 

Anthony hit a three-pointer midway through the third quarter to give Orlando the lead at 68-67. The Magic led 78-77 entering the fourth.

Toronto native Dalano Banton had 10 points and provided some energy for the Raptors off the bench. He grabbed the rebound off a Suggs miss and ran the floor before finding Anunoby for a three-pointer that gave Toronto an 85-80 advantage.

Anunoby followed with a three-pointer from the opposite corner before capping a personal 7-0 run with a dunk on Toronto’s next possession.

The Raptors were coming off a win over Indiana on Wednesday for their first home victory in four tries this season. Toronto will take on the Pacers on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Notes: The Magic will continue their road swing on Saturday with a visit to Detroit. … Toronto has a 54-39 all-time record against Orlando. … The Magic extended their streak of making at least one three-pointer to 1,135 games, a run that dates back to March 17, 2007. It’s the fifth longest streak in NBA history. … Magic forward Ignas Brazdeikis was born in Lithuania but grew up in Canada. He lived in Winnipeg and Toronto before settling in Oakville, Ont.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021. 

Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press