TORONTO — Jakob Poeltl grabbed a defensive rebound with 9.1 seconds left in overtime and completed an outlet pass to RJ Barrett. The Toronto Raptors swingman sprinted down the court, stopped at the three-point line and shot.

Rim. Out.

Ochai Agbaji and Poeltl’s offensive rebounds failed and the Denver Nuggets’ 127-125 victory over Toronto was complete.

Had Barrett made all three, it would have been the perfect ending to his first game in three weeks after missing most of the preseason and the first three games of the regular season with a sprained shoulder . The 24-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., said he heard footsteps as he crossed half-court and didn’t want a layup to be blocked.

“I’m comfortable taking that shot. I’m happy with the shot I took,” Barrett said. “It’s just who I am. It’s who I’ve always been.

“I’m going to take the photo again. That’s exactly who RJ Barrett is.”

Barrett’s miss deflated the 19,082 spectators at Scotiabank Arena, who were on their feet for the final seven minutes of the game.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray of Kitchener, Ont., made a layup with 0.1 seconds left in the fourth to tie the score at 114-114 after the Raptors led by as many as 15 points. That punctuated a 13-3 run that allowed Denver to get back into the game.

“I told the guys I don’t believe in moral victories. I believe in winning,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “I thought we competed for most of the game.

“We played the right way most of the game and we gave it our all tonight.”

Rajakovic said it was the coach’s responsibility to call a timeout and prevent a low-percentage shot like Barrett’s three-point attempt from happening. He said he would rather stop the game and get a structured reset.

When asked if he would have appreciated Rajakovic calling a timeout, Barrett emphatically shook his head.

“I don’t know what player would tell you that,” he said. “Everyone prefers to have an open field rather than playing five-on-five defense.”

Barrett finished with 20 points, five rebounds and three assists in the spirited overtime loss. Rajakovic was impressed with Barrett’s performance.

“You never know what a player will look like on the pitch,” Rajakovic said. “I thought he really competed hard. He was a little winded towards the end of the match.

“We tried to limit his minutes tonight as well, but I thought for a lot of the game he looked good.”

Barrett’s return was welcomed by a Raptors team that was hit by a rash of injuries to start the season.

Point guard Immanuel Quickley (right pelvic contusion), Kelly Olynyk (back) of Kamloops, B.C., Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery) and Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder sprain) are all on the inactive list of Toronto.

Star Scottie Barnes could join them after being elbowed in the right eye with 24 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. He had to be helped to the bench after his injury and did not return to the field.

Barnes was seen leaving the Toronto locker room after the game with an ice pack over his eye.

It was the end of a physical night for Barnes. He was also flagrantly fouled by Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook early in the fourth quarter. Westbrook and Barnes began snapping at each other after the game, with teammates, coaches and officials having to separate them.

“I’m just talking back and forth, in the heat of the moment,” said Barrett, who was on the field at the time. “Scottie defended himself, as he had to.

“I was there with my one good shoulder in the mix.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published October 28, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press