Game 1 against the Toronto Raptors didn’t go exactly as planned for the Brooklyn Nets. They cut the lead to single digits heading into the fourth quarter, but Toronto blew them out of the building by the end of the night, 134-110.
That doesn’t mean the reigning champs are going to take their foot off the gas, though. Not just because the Raptors have an understanding of what it takes to win the NBA Finals.
Toronto has respect for the Nets.
“I think we have an opportunity to play against a great group of guys down there in the Nets and a heck of a coach in Jacque Vaughn,” Kyle Lowry told reporters on a Zoom call after Monday’s game, per Doug Smith of The Star. “They’ve got some up-and-coming stars in Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, those guys. It felt like a real playoff game. We’re trying to lock into what they’re doing. We have to be ready to make adjustments.”
While this compliment is great for the Disney bubble Nets, Lowry’s remarks also mean things won’t get any easier for Brooklyn as the series progresses.