The Raptors came out victorious 100-95 in a must win game two against the savvy Brooklyn Nets on an exciting night at the Air Canada Centre. Demar Derozan bounced back from a tough game one, to score 30 points including clutch shots throughout the fourth quarter. Big man Jonas Valanciunas stepped up once again, as he tallied 15 points and 14 rebounds against a Nets squad that is second last in the league in rebounding. The battle of the boards was a big part of the game, as the Raps demolished the Nets on the glass by a 52-30 margin. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson put in good performances for Brooklyn – 15 and 18 points respectively, but their efforts weren’t enough on a night where Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were basically invisible. Down the stretch, Demar Derozan stepped up to erase a five point deficit with five minutes remaining in the game. ‘The Truth’ uncharacteristically missed an open three that could have gave the Nets the lead with 30 seconds left. When it was all said and done, the Raptors ousted the Nets by a five point margin, but the game could have gone either way, had each side capitalized on their various opportunities.
In many ways game two was very similar to the first matchup between these two Atlantic division rivals. The Raptors once again struggled with turnovers, as they tallied over 20 throughout the entire game. Brooklyn was unable to capitalize on these mistakes, just as the Raptors didn’t pounce on any of their second chance opportunities that they gained as a result of their superior rebounding. The Nets and Raptors finished even in second chance points, which was a big reason why the game was as close as it was. Unfortunately for Brooklyn, the Raptors’ sloppiness on offensive didn’t cost them the win on a night where they still managed to hit the century mark. Both coaches will once again have to adjust their tactics for their next meeting later this week.
The series now switches over to Brooklyn, where the Raptors will be looking for at least a split to regain their home court advantage. The Nets’ faithful will be rocking when their team returns to the Barclay’s Centre on Friday night for game three of a fascinating series between two Eastern Conference rivals.
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