Nets Crushed by Raptors, Strengthen Draft Lottery Odds

Entering the night with just 10 games remaining in the 2024-25 NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets welcomed the Toronto Raptors to the Barclays Center with draft lottery implications on the line. Brooklyn held a two-game advantage over Toronto for the sixth-best odds at landing the top selection, and now holds a three-game lead courtesy of a 116-86 loss.

Nic Claxton led the Nets with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the fourth-straight defeat.

Without Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson or Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn’s offense was extremely stagnant early on. Shooting just 34.8% in the opening frame, Jordi Fernandez’s group attempted to find some sort of scoring efficiency, but couldn’t muster much. He threw Dariq Whitehead onto the floor for the first time since March 4, however the sophomore out of Duke couldn’t immediately find his shooting stroke from deep.

Meanwhile, second-year big man Orlando Robinson—starting in place of Toronto’s injured Jakob Poetl—continuously gashed the Nets’ porous defense. He tallied 10 points in the first quarter while shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, guiding the Raptors to an 8-0 run, and a 14-point advantage.

Unfortunately, while Ziaire Williams eventually settled Brooklyn’s offense—it simply didn’t matter. Unable to receive help from anyone outside of Nic Claxton and his 10 points, Williams nailed two deep-range attempts while slicing through Toronto’s defense to get to the free-throw line. He’d finish the first half with 14 points as the Nets’ field goal percentage rose to 37.5%, but a still-cold offense didn’t help a compromised defense.

Despite going on an 8-0 run of its own, Brooklyn conceded two separate 9-0 runs, with offensive carelessness and an inability to guard in transition being the culprits. Come halftime, the Nets were down 21-2 in points off turnovers, resulting in a 62-45 deficit at the break.

The Raptors began the third quarter in a similar slump to their opponent’s early on, shooting just 1-of-8 from the field. Brooklyn capitalized, trimming the margin to as low as 12, but couldn’t chip away beyond that. Largely a result of Robinson’s continued excellence, he and Claxton battled on the interior, each leading their respective squads in the points column through 36 minutes of play.

While positive things were happening for the Nets, challenges still remained. Shaking off the rough beginning to the second half, Toronto still posted 31 points in the third, creating a 25-point differential heading down the stretch.

Although the game was essentially decided in just three quarters, Brooklyn didn’t let the massive hole deter its effort. Claxton—a bright spot on an otherwise rough night defensively—had five blocks come the final buzzer to go along with a season-high 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Even though the lopsided loss may sting, the Nets helped widen the gap between them and the Raptors in terms of the draft lottery. Year one of the rebuild in Kings County will merit a top draft choice, and Brooklyn must continue to ensure nothing puts that fact in jeopardy ahead of the postseason.

In a quick turnaround, the Nets close out a three-game homestand against the LA Clippers on Friday at 7:30 p.m. EST. The last time these two teams met, Brooklyn suffered the largest loss in franchise history—a 126-67 falter in Southern California. With a blowout showing against Toronto in the rearview, the Nets attempt to prevent a recreation of the historic feat in just two days.

To access the final box score from the Nets’ loss to the Raptors, click here.