TORONTO — Once, and then twice, Scottie Barnes bullied Denver’s upstart from a disadvantaged position. DaRon Holmes II was boxing out on the low block nearest the basket, but Barnes worked around him for two offensive rebounds on missed free throws.
Those rebounds turned into five Toronto points, fuel for a 9-0 run in a fourth quarter when scoring had otherwise dried up for both teams. It could’ve bruised Holmes’ ego, could’ve removed him emotionally from the game. But the Nuggets were running out of options. They needed his full effort, no matter the results. He was on his own out there.