Tag: Toronto Raptors

Nets lose 110-102 to Pascal Siakam, Raptors

The Brooklyn Nets were unable to finish off their big battle north of the border against the reigning NBA champs.

The Brooklyn Nets had their first shot at the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors on Saturday. Unfortunately for Spencer Dinwiddie and company, Pascal Siakam and his teammates proved to be too much, as the Raptors won 110-102.

Siakam scored a game-high 30 points for the Raptors, with 25 coming in the first half. Brooklyn held him to two baskets on 12 attempts in the second half, but Serge Ibaka scored 10 points between the final two quarters and Norman Powell had 16.

For the Nets, four of the five starters finished with 10 or more points. The one outlier was Jarrett Allen, though he grabbed 10 rebounds, thus extending his streak of games with 10 or more rebounds to 10.

Dinwiddie led the charge with 24 points. He has scored 20 or more points in 12 of the 14 contests in which Kyrie Irving has been absent. He also logged eight assists in the loss

Garrett Temple finished with 16 points, Taurean Prince had 14 and Joe Harris scored 13.

Harris’s lone made 3-pointer (on six attempts) was the 486th of his Nets career. He surpassed Deron Williams on the franchise’s all-time 3-pointers made list.

Prince also had 10 rebounds, logging his fifth double-double of the season in the process. He only had five double-doubles between his last two seasons combined.

David Nwaba had another strong offensive showing off the bench. He scored 10 on 4 of 8 shooting (2-for-4 from three).

DeAndre Jordan led the Nets with 13 rebounds. Rodions Kurucs saw a surge in minutes (17:57) and finished with seven rebounds.

RELATED: Jarrett Allen accomplished something no Net has since 2012-13

RELATED: Joe Harris passes Deron Williams on Nets’ all-time 3-pointers made list

RELATED: Which Nets will be challenged most in back-to-back vs. Raptors, Sixers

Joe Harris passes Deron Williams on Nets’ all-time 3-pointers made list

Joe Harris continues to solidify himself as not only one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA, but also one of the best in Nets history.

Entering Saturday’s game against the Toronto Raptors, Joe Harris had the chance to move up Brooklyn’s all-time 3-pointers made list. The sharpshooter had made 485 3-pointers as a member of the Nets, tied for fifth all-time with Deron Williams.

After missing his lone 3-point attempt from the corner in the first quarter, Harris knocked down his first attempt of the second quarter from the other corner. That shot marked his 486th 3-point make as a member of the Nets, bumping Williams down to sixth all-time.

Now the only players ahead of Harris are Joe Johnson (516) — who he should comfortably pass this year — Vince Carter (638), Kerry Kittles (687) and Jason Kidd (813).

Though he has four former Nets ahead of him on this list, Harris has been much more efficient than any of them. He’s the only player in the franchise’s top-17 for 3-pointers made with a 3-point percentage of 38% or better (Harris entered play with a 43.4 3-point percentage). (Drazen Petrovic is No. 18 on the list with 220 threes made. He ended his Nets career with a 43.7 3-point percentage.)

Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Brooklyn Nets (13-11) visit the rival Toronto Raptors (16-8) Saturday at Scotiabank Arena for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the Nets-Raptors odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Nets at Raptors: Key injuries

Nets

  • PF Chandler Wilson (suspension) out
  • PG Kyrie Irving (shoulder) out
  • SG Caris LeVert (thumb) out

Raptors

  • PG Fred VanVleet (knee) doubtful
  • SG Matt Thomas (finger) out

Nets at Raptors: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Raptors 108, Nets 94

Moneyline (ML)

The Raptors (-333) come in having won just six of their last 10 games and have slipped to fifth in the Eastern Conference. They’re coming off a 112-92 home loss against Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday. It was their fourth loss in their last five games.

Still, they’re 9-3 at home for the year and will be able to handle the undermanned Nets (+260) with relative ease; however, we’ll PASS as a $10 bet on the Raps to win outright would return a profit of just $3. Brooklyn took a 113-108 loss against the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday and is just 6-6 on the road. This is the first meeting of the year between the two.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Take the RAPTORS (-7.5, -115) with the points. They’ll need to win by at least 8 points against the wounded Nets. The Raps are at relatively full health, and they’re 13-11 against the spread overall but 8-4 ATS on home court. The Nets are 13-11 ATS overall but just 6-6 on the road.

Twelve of Toronto’s 16 wins on the year were by margins of at least 8 points.

Over/Under (O/U)

Go with the UNDER 219.5 (-115) as both teams come in with plenty of rest and will be able to put forth a strong defensive effort. The Nets played to the Under in three of their last five games. They’re lacking too much offensive firepower to put up enough points against the reigning champs.

Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Esten’s NBA betting record: 84-65

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1368]

Which Nets will be challenged most in back-to-back vs. Raptors, Sixers

The Nets have two difficult games ahead of them on Saturday and Sunday. Several players on Brooklyn’s roster will face major challenges.

Part of the reason it was important for the Nets to win each of their two recent games against the Charlotte Hornet was Brooklyn has a challenging back-to-back in front of them.

Saturday, they’re on the road against the Toronto Raptors. Then they head back to Barclays Center to face the Philadelphia 76ers. Two teams toward the top of the Eastern Conference.

Now, both teams have some impressive guards in Kyle Lowry (Raptors) and Ben Simmons (Sixers), so Spencer Dinwiddie and Garrett Temple will be busy. But their best players are bigs.

Toronto has Pascal Siakam. Philadelphia has Joel Embiid — who just torched the Boston Celtics.

Now, the Raptors also have Marc Gasol and Philly has Al Horford — assuming he’s healthy by Sunday. Both create problems — different ones from one another — but Siakam and Embiid set the tone for their respective teams.

Either way, four Nets are going to be very busy for the next two games: Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, DeAndre Jordan and Wilson Chandler.

Now, Chandler won’t be available until Sunday. He’ll have to help with Horford and keep track of him along the perimeter whenever he spells Prince. The forward will get the chance to prove his worth right away.

Though, Prince has to worry about Saturday’s game first. Siakam improved immensely in 2018-19, and he’s better this year if you can believe it. This is a big test for Prince, and he’ll need some help from Brooklyn’s two centers.

For Allen and Jordan, Embiid will be a tough matchup, of course. He’s the game’s best center.

And Sunday’s game could be one where Jordan starts. As much as Embiid can shoot the three a bit, teams are willing to give up the long ball. They’d rather put up a fight in the paint.

Either way, Allen’s strength will be challenged — big time. Even if he struggles, a matchup with Embiid should give the young center a greater understanding of how he needs to further his game in order to continue his ascension as one of the NBA’s better centers.

RELATED: Kyrie Irving’s on-court work has ‘ramped up,’ still out vs. Raptors

Kyrie Irving’s on-court work has ‘ramped up,’ still out vs. Raptors

The Brooklyn Nets will, once again, be short-handed for Saturday’s game against the Toronto Raptors.

Kyrie Irving (right shoulder impingement) and Caris LeVert (right thumb surgery) remain unavailable for the Brooklyn Nets heading into their first game of a back-to-back against the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers.

Additionally, Nic Claxton will not be available for Atkinson against the Raptors. The rookie is still sidelined due to left hamstring soreness.

Atkinson will have even less to work with following Iman Shumpert’s release. Wilson Chandler will not be available until Sunday against the 76ers, when his suspension ends.

Irving and LeVert have both progressed with their rehab. LeVert is getting shots up and Irving is back on the court. Though, neither is taking part in contact work yet.

However, Kenny Atkinson told reports at Friday’s practice Irving took another step in the right direction, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post.

He did on-court work today with no contact. Still not cleared for that. No timetable on when that’s going to happen. I will say the on-court, non-contact stuff has been ramped up,

RELATED: Iman Shumpert’s time with Nets brief, but impactful

RELATED: Why Nets have better ball movement with Spencer Dinwiddie at point

Rumor: Sam Presti could ‘be allowed to leave’ for Knicks

Presti’s name has been mentioned in conjunction with the New York Knicks front office. He’s has been the GM of the Thunder since 2007.

Chris Paul, Steven Adams, and Danilo Gallinari might not be the only members of the Oklahoma City Thunder organization that are rumored to be available.

Executive Vice President and General Manager, Sam Presti, could be as well.

Although clearly not a trade, Presti’s name has been mentioned previously in conjunction with the front office of the New York Knicks, and now, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Presti’s relationship with Thunder owner Clay Bennett is such that Bennett would be “unlikely to block Presti” if he wanted to move on from Oklahoma City.

Bondy hinted at the Knicks’ interested in Presti back in November, and said that should James Dolan move to fire then head coach David Fizdale that “president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry would then find themselves in the crosshairs”.

Fizdale was fired on December 12.

According to Sports Illustrated, both Bondy and Ian Bagley of SNY have stated that Dolan’s first choice for the front office would be Raptors General Manager, Masai Ujiri, however, if Ujiri can’t be lured away from Toronto, Presti could be their next target.

Presti has been the general manager of the Thunder since 2007.

Report: Lakers offered Russell $100 million as back-up plan for Kawhi

The Los Angeles Lakers also pursued D’Angelo Russell in the offseason before settling on the role players that filled out their squad.

Considering how things are going for the Los Angeles Lakers right now, with a 22-3 record after 25 games, it’s hard to imagine any other reality being better than the one they are living in right now. But as it goes in the NBA, there were several sliding doors moments that could have changed the Lakers.

One of those sliding doors moments was Kawhi Leonard’s decision to join the L.A. Clippers after the Clippers traded for Paul George, deciding against joining the Lakers or staying with the Toronto Raptors. But until yesterday, we were unaware of the details on another potential moment that would have changed the complexion of the Lakers.

D’Angelo Russell was a serious back-up plan for the Lakers, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.

Russell only wanted serious bidders and, sources say, he had three: The Lakers — wouldn’t that have been quite the reunion? — nearing a potential $100 million offer but in limbo until Kawhi Leonard made his choice, the Wolves, up over $100 million but still needing to create cap room to get to his max, and the Warriors, offering the full max in a complicated sign-and-trade involving Durant.

Although Russell would have had an opportunity to play for the Lakers under a new regime and with two new star players, the checkered past involving Russell and the Lakers is likely a big reason why he decided to take the bigger check to go play with Golden State.

Had Russell waited, the Lakers team they currently have would look a lot different. Danny Green probably wouldn’t be on the team and LeBron James almost certainly wouldn’t be leading the NBA in assists. But considering the high level of basketball the Lakers are playing right now, it’s hard to imagine how things could have worked out any better for the.

There’s a very good reason why Kawhi Leonard’s Raptors ring has a middle finger emoji on it

Still funny, though.

No, this is not the Toronto Raptors throwing a bunch of shade at Kawhi Leonard for bolting the franchise he helped for one year and joining the Los Angeles Clippers.

But yes, there is a middle finger printed on Leonard’s 2018-19 championship ring that he received from the Raps on Wednesday night, in which die-hards in the North showed him nothing but class in his return.

So here’s the reason why that’s on there: it’s a reminder to Leonard to wear the ring on his middle finger. Simple! But Leonard, as you may know, is a self-proclaimed “fun guy.” So he described the emoji as an “Eff you” symbol:

It would be way funnier if it was the other reason, but alas.

[jwplayer gtk2Oshh-q2aasYxh]

Raptors fans chanted MVP! at Kawhi Leonard in classy moment before his first game back

All class in Toronto upon Kawhi Leonard’s return.

Kawhi Leonard is making his first trip back to Toronto tonight since he led the Raptors to a NBA title last June.

And the fans were really happy to see him, which is pretty cool.

Leonard, of course, left town in the offseason to join the Los Angeles Clippers. But nobody can take his one year with the Raptors away from him as he led the city on a heck of a run last spring/summer that ended with a lot of parties after they beat the Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Leonard got his championship ring before Wednesday’s tip and fans showed their love for him with MVP champs and signs saying thanks:

How awesome is that?

This was just as awesome:

And here’s the video tribute they played for him:

All class in Toronto.

Pascal Siakam picks James Harden as toughest NBA player to guard

Rising Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam believes Houston Rockets guard James Harden is the NBA’s toughest player to guard.

Rising Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam believes Houston Rockets guard James Harden is the NBA’s toughest player to guard.

In an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit, the defensive ace for the league’s defending champions had a quick answer to this question:

“Pascal, who is the hardest player to guard in the NBA?”

Siakam’s response on Tuesday:

James Harden, and I think Kevin Durant is up there too.

Harden currently leads the NBA at 38.0 points per game this season, which is the highest scoring average by any player in the last 56 years.

When Harden and the Rockets (15-8) visited Toronto (16-7) last week, Siakam and the Raptors were so concerned about covering Harden that they often trapped him with multiple defenders near midcourt

This strategy limited Harden to a season-low 11 shot attempts, but the Rockets took advantage of the resulting four-on-three scenarios to make a combined 22 three-pointers in a 10-point Houston victory.

The almost unprecedented tactical move may also have helped Harden conserve energy, which appeared to boost him in other areas. Though he shot just 11 times, Harden still had 23 points on an extremely efficient 63.6% shooting and 60.0% on three-pointers. He also seemed to be more spry on defense, where Harden limited Siakam to 2-of-8 shooting (25%) with two turnovers in their one-on-one matchups.

[lawrence-related id=19314]

For the season overall, the 25-year-old Siakam — now in his fourth NBA season — is averaging 24.5 points (45.8% shooting, 36.4% on three-pointers) and 8.4 rebounds per game.

It’s the second time in a week that a member of the Raptors has gone out of his way to defend Harden. Last week, Toronto guard Fred VanVleet called Harden “pretty special” and said this when asked by reporters if he understood why Harden’s game is seen as polarizing by fans:

No, because I’m a basketball player. I haven’t met a basketball player that doesn’t appreciate it. It’s the casual people that watch the game or are tied into some fantasy of what they think the game is about.

[lawrence-related id=19189]

The Raptors don’t make their return visit to Houston until April 5, so there could be a while to go before the sides exchange any further pleasantries. But it certainly seems there’s a healthy amount of respect for Harden and the Rockets from the NBA’s reigning champions.