Nets End Skid, Secure First Divisional Victory Over Raptors

Brooklyn battles past Toronto to halt their losing streak and notch a divisional win.

Dec 19, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson (2) shoots the ball as Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) defends in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Seeking their first win against an Atlantic Division opponent of the 2024-25 season, the Brooklyn Nets leaned on a late run to close out a 101-94 road win over the Toronto Raptors. But most of the bout was underwhelming, especially during its inauguration.

From the opening tip, the divisional rivals engaged in disjointed efforts.

Not one player on either side contributed more than five points, as both squads hovered around the 40% shooting mark. And the 3-point numbers looked even worse, resulting in a combined 6-of-22 from deep by Brooklyn and Toronto.

Thus, they remained knotted at 24 apiece.

Things picked up in the 12 minutes that followed, especially on the Nets' front.

Leaning on a balanced offensive attack spearheaded by Ben Simmons' powerful driving ability and Cam Johnson's ability to get to the charity stripe, Jordi Fernandez's crew began to create some separation.

Dec 19, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

But as fast as the visitors started to build momentum, they lost essentially their entire center room in an instant.

At the 8:46 mark in the second quarter, Nic Claxton was fouled in transition and launched the basketball into the stands. He was instantly ejected from the contest, his third early dismissal of the 2024-25 campaign, and had to be held back by Brooklyn's assistant Juwan Howard from spiking a pad.

Three minutes later, Day'Ron Sharpe was assessed his fourth foul, leaving Fernandez without either of his big men for the remainder of the half.

Luckily, Simmons and Johnson rallied the Nets to an 8-0 run down the stretch to slightly overwhelm the Raptors, who were without RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley and Bruce Brown.

It was slow, sloppy and stagnant in many moments for Brooklyn, who headed into the locker room with a six-point advantage despite Scottie Barnes and Ochai Agbaji's joint effort of 20 first-half points.

The narrow lead quickly disappeared while the Nets continued burying themselves in foul trouble.

Keon Johnson picked up his fourth at the 10:58 mark, and Sharpe was hit with another on the offensive end, his fifth. The former Kansas star duo of Dick and Agbaji took advantage of the fortunate whistles, alternatively gashing Brooklyn from deep to slowly crawl ahead.

Just three minutes into the third stanza, the scoreboard was even yet again, and by the quarter's end, Toronto held its own six-point lead.

Dec 19, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) hangs from the rim after dunking for a basket over Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) in the first quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Due to the clutch heroics of Noah Clowney, the Nets' deficit shrunk almost immediately. He added two three-point plays, one the modern way and another traditional amid a 10-2 Brooklyn run.

Eventually, the 28-year-old Johnson faded away to pull back in front. His difficult conversion foreshadowed what was to come, guiding his team to an 11-0 run with just over two minutes to play.

Simmons set up Johnson for a floater and then a 3-pointer before Johnson sank six straight free throws to restore a nine-point lead and eclipse the 30-point mark.

The late push was enough to secure the win, the Nets' first against a divisional opponent this season.

Having snapped a three-game losing streak, Brooklyn returns to the Barclays Center this Saturday to take on the Utah Jazz at 7:30 p.m. EST.

To access the final box score from the Nets' win over the Raptors, click here.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Nets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.