Like school kids waiting for Winter break or 9-to-5ers waiting for their annual week of vacation, the Brooklyn Nets are crossing off days on a calendar at this point. Like that third Monday in December or final Friday before Memorial Day weekend, today was a big one to draw a red “x” over.
That’s not say Brooklyn is or has been mailing it in lately, like all of us did sometimes in school or do now at work. In fact, the Nets have done the total opposite all year. They’ve been worker bees. They’ve been prized students. That’s what’s made them so frustrating — yet at the same time — admirable amid the 2024-25 campaign.
But ever since reacquiring their first round picks, the Nets have been waiting for a singular moment, which after tonight, now lies less than 10 games away from them. It’s a lavish prize which they paid for months ago, had to dredge through a rough season for, and haven’t had in 15 years.
After losing to the Toronto Raptors tonight, they glossed it up a tad more too.
Things started for the Nets similarly to last game. That’s for the better if you’re all in on the tank — and the worse for anyone somehow still around hoping to watch some good hoop. Backboards and back irons shuddered in fear as the Nets threw up and assortment of bricks to start tonight, shooting 4-16 to begin the game and 1-8 from beyond the arc. It would have been a rare triple-less period from Brooklyn had Dariq Whitehead not made it in from Long Island in time.
Dariq Whithead splashes his first look of the game, a corner triple.
Smiled back at RJ Barrett after hitting it in his face. Both are Duke x Montverde Academy alums. pic.twitter.com/aVOzWiCS9Y
— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 27, 2025
In fairness, Toronto’s defense moved well out of the gates. They leapt out to a 32-18 first period lead, also benefitting from some tough makes off the fingertips of guys you’d never heard of before tonight. Orlando Robinson (4-4 FGs) and Jonathan Mogbo (2-3 FGs), welcome to Brooklyn.
But Toronto also did so from guys you have heard of. Scottie Barnes, who I guess didn’t get the message that this is a “tank-off,” not only played tonight, but hit a buzzer beater to close out the first. He finished the game with 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
While Brooklyn responded slightly better in the second frame, putting up 27 points on .450/.308 splits, Toronto dropped another 30-piece. Bringing over another theme from the Monday game, it was their inability to hold onto the rock which kept them behind. While trailing 62-45 at halftime, the Nets sat with 13 turnovers leading to 21 extra Raptor points. By the end of the game, they accumulated 19 turnovers leading to 30 points.
Even after D’Angelo Russell, who had been scoreless through the first 24 minutes, woke up in the third, putting in a quick five points, Brooklyn and Toronto floated forward still with a 10-15 point barrier separating them on the scoreboard. The Nets cleaned up their turnovers in the third, giving away only four. Alas, holding on the ball is only half the battle. Brooklyn couldn’t finish the possessions they saved, shooting just 9-23 from the field in the period.
Amid the rough Russell night, the ball hit the ground like a cement brick after hopping all month. The Nets tallied only 16 assists tonight, making it their second fewest in a game this year. Exactly 10 days ago, they matched a franchise record for consecutive games in a season with 30+ assists.
Naturally, the Raptors went into the fourth up 93-68...but anyone who knows Toronto knows they sit on a tanking time bomb all game which usually goes off in the final quarter. While Brooklyn’s tanking strategy has been harder to identify, Toronto’s became clear over the past week or so. In order to fumble wins (or give young players more minutes if you ask Darko Rajaković) the Raptors often handcuff their best players to the bench down the stretch of games.
So in the fourth, the questions soon became, when will the Raptors hit the detonator?
Well, whether it was Jim Gordon applying a signal blocker to the explosive in time for the Batman to fly it out over the bay, or just the Nets missing failing to find any offensive momentum all game, they waited to long. Toronto indeed subbed out Barnes with just over seven to play and RJ Barrett with six, but the Nets couldn’t mount a comeback.
Against a five of Cole Swider, Jamal Shead, Ochai Agbaji, Robinson, and Battle, Brooklyn mustered only 10 points in the final 6:15 despite leaving Claxton, Russell, Ziaire Williams, Keon Johnson and Jalen Wilson out there for much of the run.
Just tough night for rhythm on offense for Brooklyn. Two capable shooters on the wing but the ball goes into a crowd of red in the paint. pic.twitter.com/Pr5kFj0Jay
— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 27, 2025
Brooklyn eventually called it themselves, putting in Maxwell Lewis, Clowney, and Dariq Whitehead for Russell, Claxton, and Williams with about three to play. The game then got the quiet ending it deserved, being a war between two teams can’t hurt each other at this point, only themselves.
Final: Toronto Raptors 116, Brooklyn Nets 86
Women’s Impact Night
The Nets also celebrated Women’s Impact Night this evening in Brooklyn. WNBA champs Jaylyn Sherrod and Breanna Steward were in attendance as the Barclays Center played a variety of montages commemorating the New York Liberty’s title run this past summer.
Players also wore Liberty seafoam colored headbands, sleeves, and socks tonight. Jordi Fernández even addressed us pregame wearing a t-shirt of the same color.
“It was an amazing run, and I was able to experience it in a different way than I’ve ever experienced it before,” Fernández said pregame. “I was very fortunate to fall into a winning team that way. So, obviously this is my team, the team that I’ll support...The impact they’ve had on the community, I think it’s very important for me,” the coach went on. “I bring my kids and we’ll watch amazing basketball when we watch the Nets play and when we watch the Liberty play.”
Next Up
NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Los Angeles Clippers Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Does James Harden vs the Brooklyn Nets mean anything to anymore? No? Well, let me raise you to Ben Simmons vs the Brooklyn Nets...for the first time might I add.
That probably won’t interest anyone either. Regardless, the Los Angeles Clippers will be in town on Friday night, featuring both Ben10 and The Beard. While most of you will surely be rooting for a loss, we have to hope it won’t be as ugly as the last one Brooklyn suffered at LA’s hands.