Nets vs Raptors Recap: Finally

First Quarter:  The Raptors came out with an energy knowing that they were facing a six game losing streak. Jose Calderon dished out six assist which seemed to amp the team. Brooklyn's all-star back court struggled shooting the ball though. Joe Johnson and Deron Williams were a combined  three of 8 for the field, missing a couple of wide open jump shots. They also turned the ball over six times and allowed Ed Davis to score 11. The quarter ended with the Raptors leading twenty-seven to twenty.

Second Quarter: Williams would continue to struggle and his play correlated to the Nets offense. They would rely on jump shots and isolation plays. There was a time where they would go four minutes and twenty eight seconds without a field goal. Along with that, Brooklyn struggled with free-throws making ten of sixteen. Gerald Wallace's energy on defensive and rebounding is never a problem but can often turn down wide open shots, which he did a lot of in that quarter. He was the main contributor of that free throw stat, making only three of eight . Despite the Raptors having only nine active players, they sure played with some heart. Ed Davis and  Jonas Valanciunas both had thirteen and Calderon tacked on five more assist giving him a total of nine . They also forced the Nets to commit eleven turnovers and take tough shots from deep in the first half. With all of those negatives, they still managed to hang around only trailing by eight. Brooklyn shot an abysmal twelve percent from deep and a total of 36% on field goals.

Third Quarter: DeMar DeRozan opened the second half with a layup but the Nets answered with a three. Both teams would trade baskets until Johnson and Williams decided to make back to back shots from three, decreasing the Raptors lead to five. Those made field goals looked like a turning point for the Nets and it turned to be an positive affect on both sides of the floor. DeRozan who is probably their best player, only shot twenty-eight percent from the field up to that point. The Nets took their second lead from a three by Johnson with two minutes left in the quarter.  C.J. Watson was an contributor,hitting a three pointer and two free throws which gave the Nets their largest lead to that point. They lead by four, sixty-eight to sixty to end the quarter.

Fourth Quarter: Deron Williams and Joe Johnson's play turned the game around for the Nets. They were hitting shots and playing defense. Calderon was effective in the first half but was shut down in the second. Joe Johnson scored nine points in the quarter and that put the Nets to a double digit lead. Johnson also deserves credit for playing great defense on DeRozan. Their were multiple times where Johnson had to guard him on isolation plays and he forced him to pass or take tough shots. C.J. Watson was also an great addition off the bench. He would score sixteen points and grab six rebounds. Toronto would go on a seven to zero run late in the fourth but the Nets would hold on and end their losing streak.

Final Score: 94-88 Nets
Most Disappointing Stats of the Game: Nets Allowed 54 points in the paint. Davis scored a career high twenty-four points.

Promising Stat of the Game: Nets held Calderon on four of thirteen shooting.

Scary Moment of the Game: Toronto created an eleven point lead in the second.

Best Moment of the Game : Andray Blatche with a reverse jam !

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