The Brooklyn Nets will present a different look when they visit the Toronto Raptors for the second time in two weeks on Wednesday night.
The Nets recently traded Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Los Angeles Lakers, just before their narrow 102-101 road loss to the Orlando Magic. In exchange, the Nets received D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round draft picks.
During their previous encounter with the Raptors on December 19, Milton scored 12 points and Finney-Smith added eight, leading the Nets to a 101-94 victory. However, since then, the Nets have lost four out of five games, while the Raptors have continued to struggle, suffering their 11th consecutive defeat on Tuesday with a 125-71 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics. The 54-point margin was the largest losing margin in Raptors’ history and the second-largest victory margin for the Celtics.
The departure of Finney-Smith will likely result in the Nets relying more on 20-year-old Noah Clowney. In the December game against Toronto, Clowney contributed 11 points and nine rebounds as a reserve. He has started four of Brooklyn’s past five games, averaging 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds during that span. Clowney scored 13 points against Orlando, shooting 3-for-5 from beyond the arc in 28 minutes of play. However, the Nets squandered a 21-point lead and were outscored 34-18 in the fourth quarter.
The Raptors have faced numerous challenges over the past four weeks. They have committed 52 turnovers in their last two games, including 21 against Boston on Tuesday.
In the first half against Boston, the Raptors limited the Celtics to 45 points but only managed to score 35 themselves. Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic viewed this as a positive development compared to the team’s flat performances in the previous two games. However, Boston shot 74.4 percent (29-for-39) from the field in the second half, including 77.8 percent (14-for-18) from three-point range, making what Rajakovic described as tough shots.
The Celtics outshot the Raptors 54 percent to 31.4 percent from the floor and 51.2 percent (22-of-43) to 25 percent (10-of-40) from beyond the arc.
In addition to their struggles, the Raptors were without Gradey Dick (hamstring) and RJ Barrett (illness) on Tuesday.
As the Nets and Raptors face off again, both teams will be looking to overcome their recent difficulties and find a way to secure a much-needed victory. This matchup will test each team’s resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity.
