Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes praised rookie Collin Murray-Boyles and his performance during the playoffs, stating that “he’s amazing.”
Murray-Boyles put up another fantastic stat line off the bench for the Raptors on Sunday, scoring 15 points while adding 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in 27 minutes as the Raptors tied up their playoff series with the Cleveland Cavaliers 2-2, as they won 93-89.
During the game’s final seconds, Muray-Boyles successfully defended Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell, helping lead the Raptors to victory. Speaking to reporters following the game, Barnes praised his young teammate, pointing out specifically his incredible defense.
“CMB’s a hell of a defender. We trust him with the utmost trust. He was guarding me all of preseason and I know how well he guards. So we was trusting him right there. I also couldn’t really see too much of the play (on Mitchell), ’cause I was guarding (James) Harden as well,” Barnes said.
“We gonna trust him. We gonna run out with CMB. He’s amazing for us. Our defense, it gets better for us when he’s out there on the floor.”
Collin Murray-Boyles Was a Steal in the NBA Draft
The Raptors chose Murray-Boyles with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, a pick that looks especially shrewd in hindsight. Some naysayers at the time said the Raptors should have taken Khaman Maluach, who went No. 10 overall, but right now, it looks like the Raptors got a major steal drafting Murray-Boyles with the ninth-overall pick. If anything, he is playing like someone who should have been drafted in the top five.
In his rookie season with the Raptors, Murray-Boyles played in 57 games, averaging 8.5 points per game, 5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting .579 from the field. He has stepped his game up even more in the playoffs, averaging 17 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on .659 shooting from the field. Murray-Boyles has also been a plus defender for the Raptors, despite being an undersized center, and he has essentially supplanted Jakob Poeltl as the Raptors’ top choice at the five. At just 20 years of age, the sky is the limit for him.
Murray-Boyles, Barnes Lead Raptors Young Core to Victory
Between Murray-Boyles and Barnes, the Raptors have a very young and talented core of players. On top of the excellent performance from Murray-Boyles in Game 4, Barnes also had a fantastic game, as he scored 23 points while adding 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Barnes is only 24 years old, so he has many more years of playing at a high level for this Raptors team, one that has surprised the Cavaliers so far in this series. The Raptors entered the best-of-seven set as a major underdog, but they have held their own over the first four games, as this series is now a best-of-three.
The Raptors are hoping they have what it takes to get past the Cavaliers and show the basketball world that this young and hungry team is for real. But even if they come up short, they have already shown in the first four games of the series that they have a strong young core of players that will be a tough out for many years to come in the Eastern Conference.
Scottie Barnes Praises Rookie Collin-Murray Boyles: ‘He’s Amazing’