Who's Playing?
Matchup: Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets
Records: Raptors (23-12), Nets (16-17)
Where to Watch
Date: Jan. 4, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: TSN (Canada), YES Network (USA)
Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Game Preview
Call it an ugly game or a defensive battle. Either way, the Raptors came away on the wrong end of an 84-76 scoreline where they struggled to put the ball in the hoop on Thursday night.
The Miami Heat used a 2-3 zone for most of the game and Toronto couldn't get into any sort of rhythm offensively. Thursday night's struggle from the field turned out to be the Raptors' worst shooting performance of the decade! 31.5% from the field, 14.3% from 3-point range — nothing was falling for Toronto.
When Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, a career 22.2% 3-point shooter, was by far your best performer from three, you know it's an off night. But Thursday's behind them now and Toronto can now move forward with a game against a team it has had success against over the last couple of years. Toronto is 16-1 in the last 17 outings against the Nets, with its only loss coming by one point in an overtime thriller last season in Brooklyn.
Nothing has changed on the injury front for the Raptors. Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell both got shots up in Miami before the Heat game, but they're still a ways away from returning to the lineup. Marc Gasol is in the same boat, dealing with a hamstring injury.
The Nets, on the other hand, will welcome Caris LeVert back into the lineup, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. LeVert injured his thumb during a game on Nov. 10 against the Phoenix Suns.
His 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game average will be a welcome addition back to the Nets' lineup as they've lost four straight.
In general, Brooklyn doesn't have a high powered offence, ranking in the bottom half of the league with a 106.4 offensive rating. The Raptors should lean on their defence to try and get this one on the road and continue their dominance over the Nets.
It will be interesting to see if Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson takes a page out of Erik Spoelstra's game plan and plays zone against the Raptors.
Injury Report
Raptors
- Marc Gasol (hamstring) - Out
- Dewan Hernandez (ankle) - Out
- Norman Powell (shoulder) - Out
- Pascal Siakam (groin) - Out
- Matt Thomas (finger) - Out
Nets
- Kyrie Irving (shoulder) — Out
- Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) — Out
- Garrett Temple (knee) — Out
- Kevin Durant (Achilles) — Out
Game Notes
-
Raptors are 54-40 all-time record vs. Nets
-
Raptors' largest margin of victory over Nets: +37. Largest margin of defeat vs. Nets: -25
Last Time They Played
Date: Dec. 14, 2019
Score: Raptors 110, Nets 102
Raptors: Pascal Siakam — 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steal, 3 blocks
Nets: Spencer Dinwiddie — 24 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.
