Washington Wizards rookie Bub Carrington showed no fear when a veteran tried to intimidate him on Monday night.
The Wizards led the Toronto Raptors 60-59 with under 10 seconds left in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Raptors star RJ Barrett drove hard to the basket and tried to draw a foul against Carrington, but the referees swallowed their whistles.
Carrington and Barrett were seen getting into it as the buzzer sounded for the halftime break. As Barrett talked smack at the Wizards youngster, Carrington gestured toward his right cheek and repeatedly dared Barrett to hit him.
"Go ahead," Carrington appeared to tell Barrett.
Bub saying "go ahead hit me!" #ForTheDistrictpic.twitter.com/OE5gnchhNg
— Wizards Lead (@WizardsLead) March 11, 2025
Carrington continued to goad Barrett until Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji pulled his teammate away. Neither player was disciplined for the incident.
Barrett finished a solid stat line in what ended up being a 119-104 Raptors win. The Canadian finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. But Barrett struggled from the field for the second-consecutive game against the Wizards, shooting just 6/18 from the floor.
Both he and Carrington were having poor shooting nights, which perhaps contributed to tension-filled atmosphere. The Wizards rookie finished with five points, four rebounds, and five assists on a 2/11 shooting clip.
The Wizards won their previous face-off against the Raptors on Saturday in dramatic fashion. Raptors guard Jamal Shead's potential game-winner got waved off, leading Jordan Poole to add insult to injury against the home team.
Despite still being a teenager, Carrington has shown a lot of poise on and off the court this season. He definitely did not look like a rookie with the way he openly challenged Barrett.
Related: Jordan Poole Had Savage Reaction After Raptors' Game-Winner Got Waved Off
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This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 9:06 PM.