Raptors blow Warriors out behind RJ Barrett’s 37 points

By HoopsHype | January 7, 2024

What’s the buzz on Twitter? Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050With the Raptors up big, Barrett’s night is done. He finishes with 37 points, 2nd-most by a Canadian in Raptors history.Chris Boucher: 38 (Apr. 8, 2021)RJ Barrett: 37 (Jan 7, 2024)Cory Joseph: 33 (Jan. 17, 2017) – 10:38 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050They said he wasn’t efficient. They questioned his decision making. RJ Barrett’s 33-point (and counting) performance is impressive. What’s more impressive is how he’s doing it: 11-15 FG/5-6 3P/6-8 FT with 6 assists and 0 turnovers in 30 minutes. – 10:25 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050RJ Barrett from 3-point range in his final 9 games as a Knick: 9-for-41Barrett from 3 in his first 3.5 games as a Raptor: 10-for-17 – 9:33 PM Michael Grange @michaelgrangeI’m not going to look this up — apologies to Cory Joseph and Khem Birch and Dalano Banton & the rest — I think RJ Barrett now holds the Raptors record for most points in a half by a Canadian. He’s at 26 on 10-of-13 shooting and 5-of-6 from three as Raptors lead Warriors 76-49. – 9:33 PM Michael Grange @michaelgrangeRJ Barrett looking comfortable so far as a Raptor, no? He’s up to 17 points in nine minutes vs Dubs has made all three of his threes and is now 8/14 from deep as a Raptor. Toronto leads 46-33. – 9:17 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050Through 16 minutes, RJ Barrett has as many points as the entire Warriors starting lineup (17).Barrett: 17 points on 7-8 FG (3-3 3P) in 9 minutes. – 9:17 PM More on this storyline Joseph, who’s in his 13th NBA campaign and first with the Golden State Warriors, was also 23 and at a similar stage of his career when he signed with Toronto in 2015. Initially, the biggest challenge was learning how to manage his schedule, between community appearances, speaking engagements, ticket requests and other demands on his time. He credits the strong support system that he had around him – something he and Barrett have in common – for helping him figure it out quickly. His immediate family would come to every game, while his close friends were on a rotating schedule, and his business manager took care of other ticket requests. As for events in the community, he would try to do as much as he could without getting too burnt out ahead of games. His focus was on the job, but he knew the responsibility was bigger than that. “For me, I was doing more. I wanted to, I felt like I needed to,” Joseph said. “Outside of basketball, it’s just adjusting to playing in the city you grew up in, knowing a lot more people in that city, and wanting to do more in the community because you’re from there.” -via TSN / January 4, 2024