The Toronto Raptors are rolling, the vibes are great, and these good times will likely continue against the Brooklyn Nets. The Toronto Raptors are hosting the Brooklyn Nets as they look to get their seventh win in a row and with the level of talent in Brooklyn currently it is more than likely that they will continue their winning streak. Although they will be with Jakob Poeltl who is missing the first leg of a back-to-back, Toronto’s defense, which has looked rejuvenated recently after their extremely poor start to the season should be able to dominate against Brooklyn.
Raptors Outlook
Record: 11-5 | 2nd in Eastern Conference
Offensive Rating: 118.8 (5th) | Defensive Rating: 112.4 (11th) | Net Rating: +6.4 (5th)
This is the second game in a row where Toronto is matched up against one of the worst teams in the east, and the NBA overall. Toronto didn’t play with their food against the Washington Wizards, and they will likely handle their business against the Brooklyn Nets as well. Toronto’s cohesiveness as a team when it pertains to rotating on defense has been great lately, and against a Brooklyn team that is bereft of high-level playmaking and starved for creation, their defense will likely prove to be too much for this rebuilding franchise.
The offense has risen to 5th in the league overall, and with the weak perimeter defenders that Brooklyn has, the offense should still gel tonight. Nic Claxton is a solid rim protector, who can give Toronto some trouble on the glass, especially with Poeltl being out tonight, but Toronto playing smaller will also allow them to beat Brooklyn’s bigs up the floor. Scottie Barnes has made it a point to push the ball as quickly as possible after a rebound, and this method should prove effective against the bigs in Brooklyn.
Nets Outlook
Record: 3-12 | 13th in Eastern Conference
Offensive Rating: 112.3 (24th) | Defensive Rating: 122.7 (29th) | Net Rating: -10.3 (26th)
Brooklyn’s only true scoring threat is Michael Porter Jr. Porter Jr is averaging a career-high 24.8 points per game on a remarkable 61.3 true-shooting percentage. He has always been a volume scorer during his career, but with the ultimate green light in Brooklyn, he has been fully unleashed offensively. Porter Jr’s size plus shotmaking ability make him a challenging player to defend at times, even if a defender is glued to him after a screen, he’s so tall he can just rise up and knock down contested jumpers. Toronto has to be careful that they don’t let Porter Jr get hot, and keep Brooklyn in this game, they need to stick with him when he runs off of pin downs, and make sure they are attacking his dribble as well. Porter Jr isn’t a great ball handler but if he can get to his spots and fire away comfortably, he can hurt you.
Brooklyn will have the size advantage tonight, so it will be up to Toronto to make sure they don’t get dominated on the glass, and that they drag Claxton out of the paint by involving him in their actions. With Mamu getting the start most likely, he has shown how useful he can be in different scenarios for Toronto, especially as a screener and secondary playmaker.
Game Info
Tip-Off: 6:00 p.m. ET
Television: TSN
Venue: Scotiabank Arena
Starting Lineups (Projected)
Brooklyn Nets
PG: Tyrese Martin
SG: Terrance Mann
SF: Michael Porter Jr.
PF: Noah Clowney
C: Nic Claxton
Toronto Raptors
PG: Immanuel Quickley
SG: RJ Barrett
SF: Brandon Ingram
PF: Scottie Barnes
C: Sandro Mamukelashvili
Injury Report
Toronto Raptors
Collin Murray-Boyles (Knee) – Questionable
Jakob Poeltl (Back) – Out
A.J. Lawson (Two-way) – Out
Chucky Hepburn (Two-way) – Out
Alijah Martin (Two-way) – Out
Brooklyn Nets
Cam Thomas (Hamstring) – Out
Ben Saraf (Ankle) – Out
Haywood Highsmith (Knee) – Out
TeamSpreadMoneyTotalToronto Raptors-12.5 (–105)-621O 228.5 (-110)Brooklyn Nets+12.5 (-115)+460U 228.5 (-110)
Odds as of Nov.23, 10:00 p.m ET
All Toronto Raptors odds are provided by NBA Betting Site Betway!
