Tyrese Martin tried to save lots of the Nets, delivering a 26-point night time off the bench that got here inside 4 of his profession excessive. Every thing else, although, regarded far too acquainted. Brooklyn fell to 3-13 after one other sluggish begin, one other frantic comeback and one other fourth-quarter fade it couldn’t shake.
And as soon as once more, the difficulty began virtually instantly, with the Nets opening the night time in a fog.
Toronto, winners of six straight, got here out sharper and harder, ripping off a 7-0 burst that included two fast Brooklyn turnovers and compelled Jordi Fernández to burn a timeout simply 1:23 in. The Raptors saved urgent, stretching the result in 12-0 earlier than a hard-driving Noah Clowney lastly put the Nets on the board on the 9:01 mark.
Clowney’s power off the dribble helped Brooklyn regain its footing. He poured in 9 of the Nets’ first 14 factors and, paired with a bump in defensive vitality, dragged them again into the sport. His surge sparked a 14-2 run that erased the early deficit halfway by way of the quarter.
However as Brooklyn relied on Clowney and Martin to maintain the offense shifting, Toronto countered with depth and steadiness. Seven of the 9 Raptors who touched the ground scored a minimum of three factors, with Ja’Kobe Walter and RJ Barrett main the cost. Toronto closed the interval on a 20-14 push, shot 54.2% and carried a six-point lead into the second.
Martin’s 10 first-quarter factors marked his greatest scoring body of the season, and Brooklyn’s 10-for-11 exhibiting on the line was its most made free throws in any opening quarter since 2004.
The Nets lastly settled into an offensive rhythm within the second, with Michael Porter Jr. pouring in 10 factors and the workforce taking pictures 52.2%. However the defensive points that buried them early persevered. Toronto lived on the stripe, going 13-for-14, and saved carving out house within the paint. Even with solely eight made subject objectives, the Raptors dictated the tempo and took a 65-58 lead into halftime.
Rookie Egor Demin scored a team-high 5 factors for the Nets within the third quarter, and whereas which may usually sign offensive bother given Brooklyn additionally dedicated eight turnovers, its protection flipped the script. The Nets held Toronto to 30% taking pictures within the interval, and the Raptors’ night time grew worse when Barrett exited with a proper knee sprain. Toronto stayed in entrance however noticed its lead trimmed to 5 heading into the ultimate body.
Porter drilled a 29-footer to begin the fourth, and Martin adopted with back-to-back triples in lower than a minute to drag the Nets even at 94 with 9:16 remaining, however Brooklyn was nonetheless chasing its first lead of the night time. It by no means got here. After the sport was tied at 104 with 3:59 left, the Nets have been outscored 15-5 the remainder of the way in which.
Brooklyn couldn’t get stops when it mattered most, a theme that has outlined all however three video games this season.
Porter completed with 25 factors on 9-for-18 taking pictures together with six rebounds and 4 assists, and Clowney added 22. Scottie Barnes led eight Raptors in double figures with 17 factors, seven rebounds, 4 assists, two steals and 4 blocks.
The Nets return to motion Monday towards the Knicks at Barclays Middle.
