On Monday night, the Toronto Raptors head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in a contest that is sure to inspire a sense of déjà vu for some fans.
When these two teams last met, the Nets were surging. After starting the season 10-21, Brooklyn had turned things around in January, winning 10 of 11 games to close the gap on Toronto for tops in the Atlantic. Heading into Monday’s game, Brooklyn have won five of their last six—including semi-statement wins against the Bulls and Grizzlies—and climbed to 31-30, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference and just four games back of Toronto.
So they’re surging again. But Raptors their fans know what happened last time around. Down by one heading into what looked to be the game’s final possession, Patrick Patterson swiped a Deron Williams inbound pass, got the ball ahead to Kyle Lowry on the break and stepped up to deliver the game-winning jumper with six seconds left to play, extending Toronto’s division lead to 2.5 games. With a 2-1 coming into Monday night, here are a few things to look for as Toronto looks to clinch the season series against a potential post-season opponent.
Down But Far From Out
The Raptors head into Brooklyn on a three-game winning streak of their own—including Sunday’s win over the Timberwolves behind Lowry’s fifth career triple-double—but will have to suit up minus the possibility of any repeat heroics from Patterson, who suffered a sprained right elbow in Friday’s win over the Sacramento Kings.
Patterson has been an essential part of the Raptors bench attack since coming over in the Rudy Gay trade. In 39 games with the Raptors, he’s averaged 9.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, while shooting 49 percent from the floor and a lights out 44 percent from behind the arc.
The Raptors weathered the storm without Patterson on Sunday thanks to the platoon of Chuck Hayes, Tyler Hansbrough and Steve Novak. Novak was particularly effective, scoring 15 points in 20 minutes, but only because Minnesota’s lack of frontcourt depth allowed Dwane Casey to go smaller and use Novak for extended minutes without giving up too much on the defensive end of the floor. That will not be the case against the Nets who have several capable big men in their second-unit.
Of course, last time around, the Raptors were without DeMar DeRozan, who was sidelined with a sprained foot and it’s safe to say that, as good as Patterson has been, Toronto would rather have their all-star.
What Sophomore Slump?
Despite an up-and-down rookie season, Terrence Ross has taken a major leap in his second campaign. His successful transition to the starting lineup has been a key factor in the Raptors’ sustained level of effectiveness on both ends of the floor. In addition to solid defensive instincts, Ross is shooting 44 percent from three-point range since Dec. 9—second on the team among players who’ve logged more than nine minutes per game—and for the first time in his career, he’s scored in double-figures in each of his last six games. He’ll look to keep that streak going in Brooklyn.
Double Defence
The Nets have recorded 14 or more in steals in four of their last five games and at least 12 in six straight contests. Since Jan. 1, Brooklyn also boasts the fifth-best defensive rating in the league, allowing just 100.9 points per 100 possessions (at 20-9, they’ve posted the best record in the East over that same stretch). Of course, the Raptors are no slouches on the defensive end either. Since the Rudy Gay trade, Toronto has fielded the fourth-stingiest defence in the NBA and allowed their opponents to shoot just 43.6 percent from the floor. Long story short: Scoring isn’t likely to come easy for either team tonight.