Nets end six-game skid with win over Raptors

Field Level Media|published: Mon 25th March, 22:20 2024

Mar 25, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Javon Freeman-Liberty (0) dunks against the Brooklyn Nets in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. credits: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Trendon Watford scored 19 points off the bench and the visiting Brooklyn Nets ended a six-game losing streak with a 96-88 win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

It was the 11th consecutive loss for the Raptors.

Dennis Schroder, who started the season with Toronto, also had 19 points. Mikal Bridges added 13 points, Dorian Finney-Smith had 11 and Jalen Wilson scored 12. Nic Claxton had nine points and 16 rebounds.

Gary Trent Jr. led Toronto with 18 points. Kelly Olynyk had 10 points and nine assists for the undermanned Raptors, who last won on March 3. Javon Freeman-Liberty scored 15 points and Bruce Brown added 10 off the bench.

Toronto took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter. Watford's 3-pointer gave Brooklyn a one-point lead with 9:39 left. The margin reached three on a 3-pointer by Bridges 39 seconds later. Bridges made a jumper to bump the lead to seven. After Olynyk's six-footer trimmed the lead to three with four minutes to play, Claxton dunked to make the lead five then forced a turnover with 3:18 to go. Schroder's back-to-back baskets made it a nine-point lead and put the game away.

Brooklyn led 22-20 after the first quarter.

The Nets opened the second quarter with five straight points, before the Raptors responded with four straight points. Toronto took a one-point lead on Ochai Agbaji's layup with 5:39 to play, but Brooklyn responded with a 10-0 spurt. Toronto pulled back to within two points on Trent's bank shot with 2:10 remaining before Brookly carried a 49-45 lead into halftime.

The Nets started the third quarter with four straight points before the Raptors eventually used a 9-0 run to take a one-point lead with 6:57 to play in the third quarter on Olynyk's layup. The lead changed hands twice more in the quarter before Toronto held a 69-68 lead heading into the fourth.

Dennis Smith Jr. (hip), Cam Thomas (back) and Cam Johnson (toe) were among the missing for Brooklyn.

Among the missing for Toronto were Scottie Barnes (hand), Jakob Poeltl (finger), RJ Barrett (personal), Immanuel Quickley (personal) and Jontay Porter (personal).

—Field Level Media

Latest