Nets' Comeback Bid Falls Short, Drop Preseason Finale to Raptors

Brooklyn still seems to be searching for their identity.

Oct 18, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets small guard Cam Thomas (24) dribbles the ball against Toronto Raptors small forward Scottie Barnes (4) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

In their final taste of preseason action, the Brooklyn Nets fell to the Toronto Raptors 116-112 in dramatic fashion. In a matchup that somehow was reminiscent of both Brooklyn's dominant win over Washington and ugly loss to Philadelphia, head coach Jordi Fernandez's squad couldn't get out of their own way.

The Nets opened the contest on a quick 9-0 run, all stemming from the three-point line. With Ben Simmons back in the lineup, Fernandez's up-tempo was on full display, generating deep balls from countless drive-and-kick and transition opportunities.

Following Dorian Finney-Smith's scary fall in Wednesday's matchup with Philadelphia, Jalen Wilson earned the start and didn't disappoint. His defensive effort was evident, displaying great footwork while matched up on Toronto's Scottie Barnes. Even with solid performances all around, Cameron Johnson was the star of the first quarter, connecting on two of his three attempts from deep en route to 10 points in less than nine minutes of action. Despite an evident uptick in urgency, Brooklyn trailed 31-30 in the opening stanza.

Johnson continued to take over in the second, one-upping his early scoring total and finishing the first half with 21 points. All scoring outside of the 28-year-old appeared to subside, and that's when the Nets really started to miss Claxton.

When Simmons wasn't in, the task of defending Jakob Poetl fell at the hands of Ziaire Williams, who doesn't possess the frame to keep up with the 7-footer. The Nets, due to both of their big men being banged up, simply didn't have the size to match Toronto. While Wednesday night's turnover issue once again flared up, Johnson's output was enough to keep Brooklyn within three points at the halftime buzzer.

A 15-2 Raptors run in the span of just three minutes early in the third quarter set the tone for the next 10 minutes of action. Without Simmons on the floor, the Nets' offense was out of sorts outside of Johnson, who hit the 30-point mark through 25 minutes. Brooklyn rallied back with a 9-0 run of their own to cut their deficit to five, but a quick 8-0 response from Toronto immediately canceled out the surge. Heading into the final quarter, the Nets still faced a 12-point hole.

Déjà vu kicked in just three minutes into the fourth after the Raptors cleared their bench, and Brooklyn's starters were still unable to capitalize. Fernandez opted to turn to his young core in an attempt to battle back, and battle back they did.

Keon Johnson and Williams completely took over, orchestrating a 19-3 run to bring the Nets back within striking reach. Through their constant hustle, the duo cut Toronto's lead to as low as two with under 20 seconds to play. Raptors guard Jahmi'us Ramsey nailed two free throws to extend the lead back to two, effectively halting Brooklyn's comeback hopes in what became an electrifying atmosphere.

With their preseason now over, the Nets shift focus to the Oct. 23 regular season opener in a visit to Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks at 7:30 p.m. ET.

To access the final box score from the Brooklyn Nets' loss to the Toronto Raptors, click here.

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