Energetic Nets Fall Short: Raptors vs. Nets Game Two (August 19, 2020)
The two seeded Toronto Raptors faced off against the seven seeded Brooklyn Nets in game two of their first round matchup. The Raptors gave a pretty convincing performance in game one, taking a 1-0 series lead with the final score being 134-110.
The Nets came out of the gate looking really good. Both teams were playing at a super fast pace, but Brooklyn was getting better looks and finishing on offense. It was super early on, but the Nets looked like they came to play. They weren’t missing.
This Brooklyn team reminds me of when they had D’Angelo Russel in the playoffs last year. They’re super gritty, they know they’re the underdog, and they play with a constant hustle that must exhaust the opposing team. Caris LeVert (16 pts, 6 reb, 11 ast) has been on fire in the bubble, and he kept that streak up in the first quarter of this game. Aside from him, Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (17 pts) was looking solid to start out the game.
The Raptors finally managed to come alive near the back end of the quarter, though. Shots began to fall and the Nets lead slowly crumbled. Pascal Siakam (19 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast) got going, made his first two threes, and helped the Raptors get back in the swing of things. Kyle Lowry (21 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast) also managed to make a couple threes in the Raptors late first quarter run.
The second quarter started out pretty closely contested, with the Nets maintaining a small lead at the start. Tyler Johnson (12 pts, 3 reb) was all over the place and ready to run a marathon whenever he touched the ball. In fact, the whole Brooklyn roster just continued to play with this awesome intensity that makes them so annoying to play against.
Toronto managed to catch up in the second, but as soon as they did both teams hit a wall where they were both playing really sloppy basketball. Both were rushing the ball down the court after a rebound and getting questionable shots. It was not a good look for either squad, but especially for the Raptors who are supposed to be the clear favorites.
I was super impressed with Brooklyn’s defense in the first half. Granted, the Raptors did struggle to get their shots to fall, but a huge part of that was the constant pressure the Nets were putting on them on the defensive end. Jarrett Allen (14 pts, 15 reb, 5 ast, 3 blk) was always at the rim doing his thing, and everyone was closing out on nearly every perimeter shot.
The Raptors struggled in the first half and the Nets came to play. It just looked like Brooklyn wanted it more. They went into halftime with a 53-50 lead over the reigning champs.
Just like they did to start the first half, the Nets came out of the locker room hot in the second half. The only person who was really performing for Toronto was Fred VanVleet (24 pts, 5 reb, 10 ast) who pretty much single-handedly got the Raptors back to within firing distance. He was doing it all because no one else on his team would.
Behind the play of VanVleet, Toronto seemed to have some sort of momentum in the third, but Brooklyn never let up. The third quarter wasn’t their best, but they still managed to barely stay in front for it’s duration. I’ve said it a lot and I’ll keep on saying it - the identity of the Brooklyn Nets is hustle, and it makes them a tough team to play. Garrett Temple (21 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) caught fire for them, too. He was a big reason the Nets were able to stay in front for so long.
That being said, the Raptors played their best basketball in the third quarter. It still didn’t look like they were at their best, but they played just well enough to keep it a close game. Most of this was because of their defensive intensity. Toronto struggled on offense all game, but their defense was always very energized.
The final quarter began and you could tell that the Nets were a little gassed. Toronto was getting a few easy buckets and finally started to show some life on the offensive end. The uptick in energy really helped them pull ahead in the game, and the momentum was fully in their favor.
The Nets were struggling to get anything going on offense in the fourth, especially while shooting from deep. They were still keeping it close, but the Raptors were showing why they’re one of the favorites to come out of the east.
Lowry was great for Toronto throughout the game. His offensive production was solid, but where he really shined was on the defensive end. Lowry was constantly poking the ball free and drawing offensive fouls. He was a menace and an absolute thorn in the side of the Nets.
The Nets actually managed to go on a little run at the end of the game, and had the last shot of the game. Down by three with only 15 seconds left, they needed either a three or a very quick two. They definitely made things interesting down the stretch, but ended up with a heartbreaking turnover on their final possession.
In the end, the fourth quarter onslaught of the Raptors proved to be too much for Brooklyn to deal with. They just couldn’t get any points on the board in the fourth, and it happened to perfectly line up with when the Raptors got hot. A really disappointing end to the game for a Nets team who played amazing for the first three quarters. They showed lots of intensity, and probably deserved to win this game, but like I said, Toronto was just too much to handle in the end.
The Toronto Raptors barely squeak by to win game two of this series 104-99, and take a 2-0 lead on the scrappy Brooklyn Nets. Game three takes place on Friday, August 21 at 1:30 PM EST.
