NBA – After an atypical match, the Nets narrowly won (109-105), largely thanks to 13 points from Kyrie Irving in the fourth quarter alone.
On this first evening of the first weekend of the season, we go to Brooklyn, where a nice poster of the Atlantic division is held, between the Nets and the Raptors. Steve Nash’s men, outclassed on their Barclays Center floor by the Pelicans on their first outing, are keen to redeem themselves in front of their audience, facing a squad from the North to chain tough trips on the East Coast.
And this “road trip” got off to a bad start for the Raptors, narrowly beaten at the end of a match as addictive as it was strange (109-105). Because it was not until the third quarter that this meeting got carried away, after a frankly boring first half (52-49 for the Raptors, maximum difference of 5 points).
Thus, on returning from the locker room, we witness multiple reversals of the situation: first a 15-4 from the Nets in five minutes to sign a first break (64-56), then a huge 15-0 from the Raptors in response for revive the debates (71-64). The level of play then stabilizes for long minutes, and the fourth quarter is really exciting.
A great Kyrie Irving, author of 13 points in this last act alone (30 in total), gives the Nets a 10-point lead (98-88)… but the Raptors respond with a 12-0! Finally, Kevin Durant and Royce O’Neal, with two award-winning shots, secure Brooklyn’s victory for good (109-105), which makes forget their first failed match and offers themselves their first victory of the 2022/23 financial year. .
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Nets have walked the talk. After the game against the Pelicans, Steve Nash railed against the lack of competitiveness of his troop in the field of rebounding, and expected the best for this second game. The message was received, since the Nets won this battle, by a short unit: 50 to 49. A reassuring observation, against a team that plays big and physical.
– A triple-double but defeat for Pascal Siakam. Big performance from the offensive leader of the Raptors, who has a huge record of stats: 37 points (15/20), 13 rebounds and 11 assists in 37 minutes. The Cameroonian showed an impressive volume of play, in all compartments, and frankly wandered on half-court. All that was missing was the victory for his evening to be perfect.
TOPS & FLOPS
✅ Fred VanVleet. Very good performance from “FVV”, who in the shadow of Pascal Siakam will still tickle the triple-double: 18 points (7/11), 7 rebounds and 9 assists. Both used as the main ball carrier and second back to support Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes in the creation, the leader of Toronto is always essential.
✅ Kevin Durant. His first half left something to be desired, but “KD” raised his voice in the second period. He notably scored a very big three-point shot, decisive in the last moments to push back the Raptors for the last time. His final performance: 27 points (8/18), 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
⛔ The substitutes. Only 29 points in total for the substitutes of the two teams: 20 for the Nets, 9 for the Raptors. Only Patty Mills, author of 10 points including two award-winning shots, offered some good passages among the bench players in this meeting.
The following
– net : trip to Memphis, overnight from Sunday to Monday (2h)
– Raptors : “back-to-back” in Miami (2h)
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