TORONTO – Cam Johnson was in charge in the fourth quarter as the Brooklyn Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 101-94 on Thursday.
Johnson led Brooklyn (11-16) to the victory, taking a 13-4 lead into the final 2:24 of the game. He scored a game-high 33 points and 10 rebounds.
Ben Simmons added 12 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds.
Scotty Barnes had 16 points, six assists and three rebounds for Toronto (7-21) in his first game back from a right ankle sprain. Ochai Agbaji scored 20 points on 4-for-8 3-pointers, and Grady Dick added 19 points.
Rookies Ja’Kobe Walter and Jonathan Mogbo started for the Raptors, lowering the average age of the lineup to 22 years, 187 days, the youngest in franchise history.
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With swingman RJ Barrett (illness) and backup guard Davion Mitchell (right shoulder stiffness) out from Mississauga, Ontario, youth exercise was needed.
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takeout
Nets: Brooklyn didn’t take care of the ball the entire game and gave up 17 turnovers compared to Toronto’s 12. They also went 33-for-82 (40.2%) on field goals, including 9-for-39 from 3-point range. The Raptors made as many threes in the third quarter as the Nets did in the first three quarters. That is, it was 7 points.
Raptors: Center Jakob Poeltl was inactive with a groin injury and Toronto certainly missed his rebounds. He’s averaging 11 boards per game this season, seventh-most in the NBA. The Raptors were outrebounded 31-16 at halftime and 53-34 overall.
important moment
Brooklyn center Nic Claxton was ejected at 3:14 of the second quarter after being fouled by Raptors forward Kelly Olynyk and throwing the ball into the stands. Claxton led the Nets with seven points and five rebounds during a technical and threatened to throw a seat cushion on the floor after being ejected.
Key Statistics
It was the first game between two European coaches in NBA history. The Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic is from Serbia and Brooklyn’s Jordi Fernandez is from Spain.
next
Toronto: The Raptors host the Houston Rockets on Sunday evening.
Brooklyn: The Nets welcome the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
