In Scottie Barnes' first experience as an Eastern Conference All-Star, he showed that he belongs on the stage among the NBA's biggest stars.
In 17 minutes of action, the third-year Toronto Raptors forward scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists while helping the East come away with a 211-186 win over the West.
"I enjoyed it. I went out there and did what I do: rebound, push the pace and play hard on defence. I try to allow no easy buckets," Barnes told Sportsnet Central after the game.
Barnes flashed his all-around game, scoring his first All-Star bucket with a two-hand slam in transition off a slick pass from Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.
He also showed off his 3-point shot, pulling up in transition for back-to-back triples in the final minute of the third quarter.
Barnes continued to attack in transition in the fourth, grabbing a rebound and going coast-to-coast to put down yet another two-handed dunk and cap off his All-Star debut.
"It was fun. I just went out there, did me, played hard, just played together, just did the basics, the things I always do, and it turned out really well," Barnes said after the game.
In his three-year career, Barnes has been a part of each All-Star weekend, participating in the Rising Stars Challenge in 2022 and 2023, Skills Challenge in 2022 and once again this year in Indiana.
At this year's Skills Challenge, Barnes was placed on Team All-Stars with Trae Young and Tyrese Maxey. The trio ended up tying Team Pacers in the competition before losing to the hometown stars in a half-court shooting contest to determine the winner.
The 22-year-old is averaging 20.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game this season for the Raptors.
Barnes was named an All-Star by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as a replacement for New York Knicks forward Julius Randle.
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