"Better than Wemby": Fans Go Berserk After Scottie Barnes Explodes With Partner and Mother Courtside 

The Toronto Raptors clinched their first win in almost two weeks, ending their four-game skid on Monday. Scottie Barnes played a huge role in the 106-96 win over the Miami Heat, delivering a dominant performance that also saw him edge past Victor Wembanyama in a statistical milestone.

Playing at the Kaseya Center with his mother and partner, Alyssa Rae Holmes, watching from the stands, Barnes had an impressive performance. He finished the night with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double, while also adding six assists and five combined steals & blocks.

Fans quickly praised the Raptors forward for his impact on both ends of the floor. The performance marked Barnes’ latest entry into the record books, leading the league this season in games featuring at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five combined steals and blocks, moving ahead of Wembanyama in the process.

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“hes better than wemby,” @4jaylen4 said. “Scottie Barnes putting up a monster stat line! 😳,” @AliDarwesh94 wrote. “wemby is 7'4 with 8ft wingspan and Scottie is 6'7.....dpoy Scottie now,” @slimmdunks said. “WHAT CANT SCOTTIE BARNES DO?” @0uttis said. “Scottie Barnes is a SPECIAL defensive player. If he's not on the All-NBA Defensive Team, then the voters simply aren't watching. Just held Miami to their lowest point total all season. 10 Boards, 3 Blocks, and 2 steals. He wins games with his hustle,” @almost0jake wrote. “Scottie Barnes doing a bit of everything quiet all around dominance,” @SBT564 said.

Barnes had immense help as his frontcourt partner, Brandon Ingram, led all scorers with 28 points. Additionally, Immanuel Quickley contributed with 15 points, helping Toronto take a 1-0 lead over Miami in the regular-season series.

Scottie Barnes leads league with clutch-time blocks

Barnes rose to the occasion when the Raptors needed him most in Monday night’s win over the Heat, making his presence felt in the fourth quarter.

In the final frame, he put up six points, four rebounds and two assists. However, it was his defense that truly stood out down the stretch, recording one steal and two blocks.

His late-game heroics were acknowledged by Toronto coach Darko Rajaković.

“He just plays to win. He has an amazing desire to win the basketball game, and he’s finding different ways on how to affect the winning,” Rajaković said in the postgame interview. “I’m really, really impressed with him tonight.”

At the 2:44 mark of the fourth quarter, Barnes recorded another clutch-time block. That play added to an impressive season-long trend. Barnes now leads the entire NBA with six blocks in clutch moments. To put it in perspective, 18 different teams have recorded fewer than six clutch-time blocks all season.

Edited by Advait Jajodia