Barnes's double-double leads Raptors past Nets; Toronto stays alive ...
Mikal Bridges scored 21 points as Brooklyn (21-34) dropped its third straight game. Cam Thomas added 19 points.
Toronto now trails the Nets by 1 1/2 games for 11th in the East, with both teams chasing the Atlanta Hawks (24-31) for the 10th and the final spot in the play-in tournament.
Barnes and Trent both had eight points in the first quarter as Toronto built an early 30-21 lead. Barnes also had five rebounds in the frame, as did centre Jakob Poeltl, with the Raptors having led by as many as 14 points.
Toronto went on a 10-4 run to close out the half and expand its lead to 59-48. Trent did not miss a shot in the first two quarters, making all four of his field-goal attempts, including three three-pointers, and sinking his two free throws.
An 11-2 Nets run opened the third, with Thomas responsible for seven of those points. That cut the Raptors’ lead to one point.
Toronto fired back with a 10-0 run, however, capped by rookie Gradey Dick scoring off an offensive rebound. The Raptors maintained that lead for the rest of the quarter, holding an 82-71 advantage headed into the fourth.
Trent scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter as Toronto blew the game wide open. With 4:06 left to play and the Raptors holding a 29-point lead, head coach Darko Rajakovic flushed his bench and put out reserves like Jordan Nwora, Jalen McDaniels, Montreal’s Chris Boucher, and D.J. Carton, who signed a 10-day contract with Toronto on Wednesday.
OLLIE DEBUT — Kevin Ollie debuted as the Nets head coach on Thursday. He was given the position on an interim basis after Jacque Vaughn was fired on Monday.
SCHRODER RETURNS — It was Dennis Schroder’s first game back in Toronto after the Raptors traded him to the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the deadline. The veteran point guard only spent half a season in Toronto after signing with the Raptors last summer.
“I think Dennis did a really good job when he was with us,” said Rajakovic. “I think he brought competitive energy every single night and I think especially the young players could see what it takes to be a player in the rotation and playing every night, how hard it takes to work every night.”
UP NEXT — The Raptors visit the Hawks on Friday.
Brooklyn hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves (39-16) on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 22, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
