Make it 4 in a row and 7 of their final 9.
The Nets are one of many hottest groups in basketball and moved two video games above .500 with a 114-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors in entrance of a sellout 17,732 followers at Barclays Center on Friday evening.
They led by as many as 36 factors earlier than letting the Raptors creep again into the sport late within the fourth quarter.
After digging a 2-6 gap to start out the season, the Nets (13-11) have pulled a whole 180. They are inching nearer towards contender standing, although they nonetheless have super floor to cowl separating themselves from the cream of the NBA crop.
And it each seems to be and feels totally different when the Nets aren’t leaning too closely on Kevin Durant — or Kyrie Irving, as they did for endless stretches final season.
Durant’s minutes have develop into a degree of competition in Brooklyn, as they had been final yr. He entered Friday’s matchup because the league’s chief in minutes, factors and discipline objectives. At age 34 and in yr 15, the Nets star is averaging 37 minutes per sport for the second consecutive season.
“We’ve had to play Kevin more minutes than we’ve wanted to,” head coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned forward of tipoff. “That’s just kind of where we are. He understands that.”
It hits totally different, although, when Durant has assist, and it displays on the scoreboard.
Sharpshooter Joe Harris received sizzling early, scoring 11 factors within the first quarter alone. After breaking out of his taking pictures stoop to hit 4 out of six threes in Wednesday’s win over the Washington Wizards, Harris, who’s beginning rather than the injured Ben Simmons (calf pressure), hit one other 5 threes for 17 factors towards the Raptors on Friday.
Royce O’Neale hit a trio of well timed threes, and Kyrie Irving shouldered a big chunk of the scoring load, scoring 27 factors on 17 shot makes an attempt. Veteran ahead TJ Warren, in his Nets debut after lacking two-plus seasons with consecutive stress fractures in his left foot, scored 10 factors on 5-of-11 taking pictures off the bench.
And Nic Claxton added 15 factors and 9 rebounds, sealing the sport with a putback dunk, then offensive rebound and end that prolonged the Nets’ lead again to 16.
He compelled Raptors coach Nick Nurse to name his second to final timeout with 4 minutes left within the fourth.
It was Durant’s lightest workload of the season. He nonetheless performed 38 minutes however they had been low influence. He solely took 10 photographs and completed with 17 factors, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.
The Nets constructed a lead as massive as 36 and watched the Raptors whittle the deficit all the way down to as little as seven within the ultimate minute of the fourth quarter. It wasn’t a reasonably end however nothing has come simple for the Nets this season.
They have an opportunity to make it 5 in a row on Sunday, although they’ll need to undergo final yr’s Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics to get there.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com