If the Toronto Raptors are going to avoid losing a seventh consecutive contest, they’ll have to do it without their leading scorer.
RJ Barrett will miss Sunday’s game against Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and the Houston Rockets due to illness, the team announced.
It’s the second time in as many games that the 24-year-old was scratched from the lineup a couple hours before tip-off. Before Toronto’s 101-94 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, Barrett was ruled out with the same ailment after speaking to team doctors, per head coach Darko Rajakovic.
The Canadian is averaging career-highs across the board, leading the Raptors with 23.5 points per game along with 6.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists through 24 appearances.
He previously missed three games to start the year due to a shoulder injury.
Barrett’s absence added to Toronto’s long list of injuries this season. He’ll watch Sunday’s game from the bench alongside fellow starters Immanuel Quickley (elbow) and Jakob Poeltl (groin), and veteran Bruce Brown (reconditioning) who all remain out of the lineup as well.
Meanwhile, Davion Mitchell makes his return to the squad after a one-game absence from a shoulder strain.
They’ll need to guard to sop up some of those ball-handling minutes usually taken by Barrett if the Raptors hope to avoid matching their season-worst skid of seven losses in a row.
Action between Toronto and Houston gets going at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.