Toronto is Too Much: Raptors vs. Nets Game Three (August 21st, 2020)
The Toronto Raptors looked to extend their lead in the series to three as they took on the Brooklyn Nets. Fred VanVleet (22 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) has been amazing throughout the first two games, and the Raptors were thriving with the help of his elite production.
Speaking of VanVleet, he got hot early on in this one, nailing his first two threes of the game. In fact, both teams came out of the gate with a lot of energy on both ends. Brooklyn was playing well, but Toronto definitely looked like the clear better team (which they are).
That being said, the Nets were keeping the game much closer than it probably should have been. The Raptors were playing really well, but Brooklyn managed to keep their lead under ten points. Caris LeVert (15 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl) was trying his best, but the rest of his team wasn’t shooting very efficiently.
Despite their hot start, the Raptors ended up in a slump late in the first and into the second quarter. Brooklyn was doing a good job of defending two point shots, but Toronto was raining down threes. The Raptors’ slump should have given the Nets a chance to catch up, but unfortunately they were also on a cold streak. Once the Raptors got things rolling again, Jacque Vaughn’s squad found themselves down 10+ points.
While VanVleet and LeVert seemed to be the leaders for their respective teams early on, both groups were finding production from a variety of players. Serge Ibaka (20 pts, 13 reb) looked great for the Raptors off the bench. He made his first three three pointers and had already grabbed seven rebounds in his first ten minutes on the floor. As for Brooklyn, Jarrett Allen (4 pts, 17 reb) looked super aggressive on the boards, as he dominated in that category for the Nets. The rest of the squad wasn’t shooting very efficiently, but they were definitely helping to keep it somewhat close.
Kyle Lowry (11 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk) was also looking good for Toronto. His offensive contribution was definitely there, but his help on the defensive end was especially noticeable. Lowry is so good at drawing offensive fouls, and in the first half alone he drew a couple. He’s just such a hard-working, hustle player that can impact the game in so many ways.
The Nets got, what was supposed to be, the lost shot of the half, and LeVert nailed a three. However, VanVleet sprinted up the court and nailed a halfcourt heave at the buzzer. It was super deflating for a Brooklyn team that was hoping to take some momentum into the half. Both teams were playing super hard, but Toronto took a 57-42 lead into the half. They were just the better team in this matchup.
Tyler Johnson (21 pts, 5-9 from three) opened up the second half on fire for the Nets. He made a few threes and even managed to draw a foul while shooting one. All the offense Brooklyn was struggling to generate early on was finally shining through a little bit as they tried to chip away at Toronto’s lead.
However, just as they began to look good, the Raptors went on a big run. Pascal Siakam (26 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast) and VanVleet made back to back threes, and Toronto picked up where they left off. Brooklyn was just too inconsistent to completely catch up.
Siakam was looking good late in the third as he helped the Raptors grow yet another lead. No matter how many times the Nets looked like they were about to make a run, Toronto was right there to stop it. It must have been super demoralizing for Vaughn and the Nets, who were playing with such great energy.
Throughout the second half, it seemed like Johnson was the only person who could get any offense going for Brooklyn. Chris Chiozza (14 pts, 3 ast, 4 stl) looked okay off the bench, but there was very little flow on that end of the floor as a team. Toronto was constantly just shutting down any chance of a come back for the Nets. A combination of great offense and solid defense was too much for Brooklyn to deal with.
The fourth quarter saw Toronto open up a near 20 point lead, and at that point there was nothing that the Nets could do. The Raptors are the clear better team in this series, no matter how much Brooklyn fights. The Nets play so hard and with so much hustle that it makes you root for them, but they’re simply outmatched against the defending champs, especially with all their missing players.
The Raptors took a 3-0 lead in the series, beating the Nets 117-92 behind a stellar performance from Siakam. Catch game four on Sunday, August 23rd at 6:30 PM EST.
