After a number of years of uncertainty and middling-to-mediocre play, the Toronto Raptors might lastly have discovered a profitable components.
Sitting six video games above .500 and second within the East, the Raptors are on a roll, profitable 9 of their final 10 and 6 in a row.
They’re going to look to maintain the great instances going Sunday in opposition to a Brooklyn Nets workforce that must be a straightforward matchup on paper, however has the potential to show the tables on Toronto.
You may catch their showdown on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+ at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.
The Raptors are coming off a 140-110 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday, serving to them clinch a spot within the elimination stage of the NBA Cup. All the things appears to be going their means.
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Now, they face a Nets workforce in opposition to whom they’ve gained 4 straight video games.
The Raptors have already overwhelmed Brooklyn as soon as this season, profitable 119-109 on Nov. 11 to jumpstart their present six-game streak.
Over the streak, the Raptors rank second within the NBA in offensive ranking (122.9), fifth in defensive ranking (109.2) and second in internet ranking (13.7), behind solely the powerhouse Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
In addition they have the most effective assist-to-turnover ratio (2.27), the third-best efficient field-goal share (59.6) and the third-best true taking pictures share (62.8), pointing to a newfound offensive effectivity.
Whereas the Raptors make use of a scoring-by-committee system, Brandon Ingram has led the best way with 21.1 factors per recreation on 49.6 per cent from the sphere. RJ Barrett is shut behind at 19.6 an evening on 50.7 per cent, whereas Scottie Barnes is netting 19.4 a recreation on 51 per cent.
Barnes has been the large star for the Raptors, as past simply scoring, he is tallying 7.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.6 blocks per recreation, and is taking pictures a career-high 41.4 per cent from three-point vary on 3.6 makes an attempt per recreation.
The Raptors shall be with out centre Jakob Poeltl, who continues to handle again ache he is handled for a lot of the season. The Austrian massive is averaging 11.3 factors and seven.7 rebounds. The Raptors have a 2-2 file with him out of the lineup.
Moreover, rookie ahead Collin Murray-Boyles is questionable for the showdown with a proper MCL sprain.
The Nets, in the meantime, have leaned on seventh-year wing Michael Porter Jr., who’s averaging a career-best 24.8 factors, 7.7 rebounds and three.1 assists whereas taking pictures 48.6 per cent from the sphere and 37.5 per cent from three-point vary. In Brooklyn’s upset win over the Celtics on Friday, the summer season commerce acquisition netted 33 factors with eight rebounds.
Mired in a tank yr, the Nets have fielded a younger and unproven roster, which incorporates the 4 first-round alternatives they made on the 2025 NBA Draft: Egor Demin, Nolan Traoré, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf — none of whom have appeared like instant-impact gamers in Yr 1.
Regardless of their questionable make-up, the Nets have gained three of their final eight and are nonetheless outperforming the 2-14 Indiana Pacers and 1-15 Wizards within the dregs of the Japanese Convention.
So whereas the showdown pits an 11-5 workforce in opposition to a 3-12 workforce, there’s all the time room for upset within the NBA. If the Raptors want to cement their spot within the higher echelon of the East, they need to deal with enterprise.
