Barnes brushes off underdog label vs. Cavs: 'That shit don't matter'

Scottie Barnes couldn't care less about the Toronto Raptors being labeled as an underdog for their first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"We're just going to try to go out there and win. We're going to do our jobs. We're going to be who we are on the floor. That shit don't matter," Barnes told reporters Wednesday, per the "Hello and Welcome" podcast.

Toronto won all three of its regular-season matchups versus Cleveland by an average of 11.7 points.

However, the Cavs were never at full strength for those meetings. Donovan Mitchell missed the first game between the two clubs, while Jarrett Allen was sidelined for two of the matchups. Ex-starting point guard Darius Garland sat out all three games against the Raptors.

The Cavs have gotten healthier and revamped their roster since their last contest against Toronto in late November, adding James Harden, Keon Ellis, and Dennis Schroder via trade.

Harden has been a huge difference-maker for Cleveland, tallying 20.5 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.8 boards per contest to go along with a 43.5% clip from deep across 26 appearances.

The Cavs are 19-7 with Harden in the lineup. Additionally, the quartet of Harden, Mitchell, Allen, and Evan Mobley has a net rating of plus-26.7 in 92 minutes together.

Despite the challenges, Barnes believes the Raptors match up well with the Cavs.

"I like our chances and what we can do out there on the floor," Barnes said. "I think we can do a great job of using our physicality in this series."

Game 1 begins Saturday in Cleveland at 1 p.m. ET.