The Brooklyn Nets had their lunch eaten in Game 1 by the Toronto Raptors, who showed everyone why they are the defending champions. Will the Nets put up a much better stand this Wednesday and even the series? Or will the Raptors move two wins away from advancing to the next round?
The Nets clinched a spot in the playoffs during the seeding games in Orlando without needing the help of a superstar. On Monday, they looked like a team that’s begging for one, as they got crushed by Toronto in a 134-110 loss. That being said, the Nets were without some shining moments in Game 1 on which they could build some confidence, heading into Wednesday’s match. Caris LeVert scored 15 points and dished out 15 assists. Joe Harris chipped in 19 points. The most impressive Net was Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who came off the bench and fired 26 points with six 3-pointers. Down by 22 at the half, the Nets managed to trim that lead down to only nine points in the third quarter in which they outscored Toronto, 35-22. Despite hitting 13 threes, the Nets were not as accurate in Game 1 from deep as they were in the seeding games when they knocked down 36.2 percent of their 3-point attempts. In the loss to Toronto, the Nets shot 31 percent (13-42). But without a legitimate threat inside on offense, the Nets will have to keep moving the ball in the perimeter and find the best available shot. They also have to step up on defense as they are not going to live long in the playoffs by allowing 135 points every game.
The Nets are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games.
Fred VanVleet is doing all the right things to secure that bag in free agency. VanVleet, who went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft, absolutely blasted the Nets’ defense in Game 1, scoring 30 points with an 8-of-10 line from behind the arc and 11 assists in 38 minutes of action. It was an inside-outside nonstop attack for Toronto, with its bigs dominating their Brooklyn counterparts. Serge Ibaka came off the bench and poured in 22 points, while Marc Gasol started and supplied 13 points. There are so many offensive threats for Toronto, and Brooklyn just doesn’t seem to have the answer for all of them. Adding to the Nets headaches is Toronto’s defense that, when it is focused, doesn’t allow much room for Brooklyn to breathe. Toronto limited Brooklyn to just 46.7 percent shooting from the field and forced the Nets to commit 14 turnovers. VanVleet and Kyle Lowry are intense and pesky on-ball defenders, while Ibaka and Gasol are more than enough to keep Jarrett Allen in check.
The Raptors, who are allowing just 106.4 points per game since the NBA brought the party to Orlando, are 4-2 against the spread in their last six games against Brooklyn.
