The Toronto Raptors survived an impressive performance from the Brooklyn Nets to escape with a 104-99 win in Game 2 and take a 2-0 series lead. After shooting 50 percent from 3-point range in Game 1, the Raptors struggled mightily from beyond the arc, connecting on just 25.7 percent of their 3-point attempts. Give credit to Brooklyn, though, as right out of the gates it swarmed Toronto out on the wings, and went over screens to put more pressure on the defending champions to put points on the floor. Although the Nets lost, Brooklyn’s play throughout the game sent a message that this series won’t be a walk in the park for Toronto.
Toronto leaned heavily on Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell offensively, as the two guards put up 24 points apiece, and All-Star guard Kyle Lowry tacked on another 21 points to secure the win. For Brooklyn, a 21-point performance from Garrett Temple led the way, as Caris LeVert couldn’t replicate his standout performance from Game 1. Brooklyn had a chance to send it into overtime, when it was down three points with 15 seconds left. However, sloppy Nets passing on their final possession led to a back-breaking turnover that sealed the win for Toronto. When it was all said and done, the Raptors’ playoff experience ruled the day.
Here are three takeaways from Toronto’s win.
1. Powell bounced back from poor Game 1 showing
In Game 1 of this series, Powell played just 16 minutes and finished with six points after early foul trouble kept him out for most of the first half. Then, excellent play from rookie Terence Davis — who finished the contest with 11 points and four rebounds — in the second half of that game forced Nick Nurse to keep the first-year player in over Powell. The Raptors ultimately won the game, but it was without Powell’s typical 16 points a game he’s averaging this season.
This time around, though, Powell ensured he wouldn’t be forced to the end of the bench, and was a huge reason why the Raptors ultimately won this game. In the first half, Powell carried the second unit to ensure that Brooklyn’s lead didn’t grow any larger heading into halftime, scoring 11 of his 24 points in the first two quarters of action. A huge dunk on Rodions Kurucs at the start of the second quarter ignited Toronto to play with more fire offensively, and his run in the fourth quarter, where he put up 12 points, helped pull Toronto even with Brooklyn and ultimately win the game.
What’s most impressive about Powell’s performance is how he was able to get it done in other ways than just shooting 3s. Despite being a 40 percent 3-point shooter this season, Powell went 1 of 6 from deep on Wednesday, and instead of it completely taking him out of the game mentally, he started driving to the rim and finishing strong. The Raptors had a poor shooting performance from beyond the arc overall, but Powell’s ability to show that he can create in ways other than just knocking down 3s was a difference-maker in this win for Toronto.
2. Toronto goes to small ball in the closing minutes
Today was not a good showing for Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, who were both outmatched athletically against Brooklyn every time Jarrett Allen was rolling to the rim. With both of his big men being taken out of the game on both ends of the floor, Nick Nurse opted to go with a smaller, more athletic lineup to close out the game. At the five-minute mark in the fourth quarter, Toronto rolled out a lineup of Lowry, VanVleet, Powell, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam at the center spot. It gave Toronto five guys on the floor who all shoot over 35 percent from 3-point range, spreading the floor to an absurd level that allows for Lowry to drive and get fouls at the rim. On defense, it gave them five defensively stout players who could all switch and handle any look that Brooklyn was giving them.
The numbers weren’t eye-popping, as that lineup broke even in terms of plus-minus, per NBA Advanced Stats, however, it’s an intriguing lineup that Nurse can go to down the line in the postseason, for instance if they end up playing the Celtics in the second round. Boston doesn’t have a ton of size, but it does have what feels like an endless amount of guys who can shoot from anywhere on the floor. Ibaka and Gasol may get the same treatment they did in this game against Brooklyn, forcing Nurse to go for a lineup that can get out and defend players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but also put points on the board on the other end. It’s an interesting tidbit from this game that we could see again later on in the playoffs if the Raptors win this series.
3. The Nets were completely gassed in the fourth quarter
Brooklyn came out and punched Toronto in the mouth to start this game, jumping out to a 12-5 lead, and even at one point increasing its lead to 14. However, the Nets were never able to hold onto that lead, and couldn’t take advantage of Toronto’s poor shooting performance down the stretch. Some of that is likely due to this shorthanded team being exhausted by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, where they held a six-point lead. Brooklyn’s roster changes leading into the bubble have been well documented, as many of these guys haven’t spent a ton of time playing together this season.
Not to mention, a couple players that the Nets did sign for the NBA restart ended up getting injured. It’s resulted in an incredibly thin roster and short rotation for Jacque Vaughn and the Nets, which played out in crunch time of this game. Brooklyn exerted so much energy maintaining its lead through the first three quarters, and didn’t have enough left in the tank to pull out a win in crunch time. Vaughn may have to dig deeper in his bench in order to get guys like Jarrett Allen and Joe Harris — both of whom played 40 minutes — some rest so they’re not completely exhausted when he needs them most.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe remain undefeated in women’s doubles at the WTA Finals.
The 2023 U.S. Open champions, seeded second at the event, secured a 1-6, 7-6 (1), (11-9) super-tiebreak win over fourth-seeded Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in round-robin play on Tuesday.
The season-ending tournament features the WTA Tour’s top eight women’s doubles teams.
Dabrowski and Routliffe lost the first set in 22 minutes but levelled the match by breaking Errani’s serve three times in the second, including at 6-5. They clinched victory with Routliffe saving a match point on her serve and Dabrowski ending Errani’s final serve-and-volley attempt.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will next face fifth-seeded Americans Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk on Thursday, where a win would secure a spot in the semifinals.
The final is scheduled for Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Nov. 5, 2024.
EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.
The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.
Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.
TAKEAWAYS
Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.
Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.
KEY MOMENT
New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.
KEY RETURN?
Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.
OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN
The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.
The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.
Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.
Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.
Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.
It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.
The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.
Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.
Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.
The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”
Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.
The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.
Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.
UP NEXT
Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
