The replacement roster of the Brooklyn Nets was no match for the defending champs, as the Toronto Raptors swept Brooklyn 4-0 in the first round. Let’s break down this series that was all Raptors from the start.
Series Recap: Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets
Recap
Toronto entered this series as heavy favorites and showed their dominance throughout. The Raptors outscored Brooklyn’s replacement cast by at least 24 points in three of the four games.
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, the 2020 NBA Coach of the Year, and his squad used a barrage of three-pointers to take game one of this series. Toronto shot 22 of 44 from deep, including a 30 point performance from Fred VanVleet. VanVleet knocked down eight of 10 shots from three-point range in this game.
30 points, 8 three-pointers made, Fred VanVleet was COOKIN' in Game 1. 👀🔥👀
He earned himself @OntarioDairy Performer of the Night honours. #WhatCantMilkDo pic.twitter.com/iw9TUs3Kdl
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) August 17, 2020
During Game Two, Brooklyn built a 14-point lead in the first quarter and led until the last nine minutes of the game. Toronto outscored the Nets 30-19 in the final frame, leading them to a 104-99 victory.
The Raptors finished off the series with two blowouts in games three and four. Toronto’s bench scored 100 points in Game Four, the most in any game since official starters began to be tracked in 1970-71. This historic 150-122 game four victory marked the first sweep in franchise history and the franchise record for points in a playoff game.
Top Performers
The defending champs are lauded for their ability to play true team basketball. This series was no different. In four games, Toronto had seven players average at least nine points per game. Of these seven, four Raptors provided the biggest difference in this series.
VanVleet led Toronto in scoring and assists in round one, dropping in 21.3 points and 7.8 assists per game. The guard was incredible from deep, shooting almost 56 percent from three-point range throughout the series.
As usual, Pascal Siakam stuffed his stat sheet with 20.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell provided Toronto’s biggest punch off the bench. The two combined for 38.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game together.
For Brooklyn, Caris LeVert led the way for his team as he did throughout the bubble seeding games. The Michigan guard scored 20.3 points, 9.5 assists, and six rebounds per contest in four games. Jarrett Allen averaged a double-double in this series with 10.3 points and 14.8 rebounds per game.
Something to Watch: Kyle Lowry’s Injury
Toronto’s first-round sweep was a near-perfect beginning to their quest to repeat as NBA champs. The biggest downside came in game four when Kyle Lowry exited in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury.
Lowry did not return in Game Four and, as of today, has been officially diagnosed with a left ankle sprain. His condition will continue to be updated in the coming days.
Despite VanVleet’s outstanding performance in round one, Lowry, a lead guard, is the focal point for Toronto’s offense and defense. He averaged 19.4 points, 7.5 assists, and five rebounds in the regular season.
Next Up
The Brooklyn Nets will head home from the NBA Disney Bubble with their focus on one thing only: the 2020-21 campaign. Brooklyn is eagerly awaiting the returns of their superstar talents in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The Nets will have some configuring to do with the budding talent of LeVert and a deep roster with names like Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, and Allen.
The Raptors move on for their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup with the Boston Celtics. Boston also looked dominant in their first-round sweep over the Philadelphia 76ers. This series kicks off on Thursday, August 27 at 6:30 pm ET on ESPN.
Main Photo:
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