Raptors Dominate Nets with Barnes and Trent Leading the Charge

The Toronto Raptors secured a convincing 121-93 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday evening at the Scotiabank Arena, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process.

Scottie Barnes showcased an impressive performance, registering a double-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists, while Gary Trent Jr. led all scorers with 25 points, including five three-pointers. Immanuel Quickley also made his presence felt with 24 points and six rebounds, sinking five three-pointers as well.

Trent Jr. was instrumental in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points and hitting all of his shots in the final period. Reflecting on his performance, Trent Jr. remarked, “I just showed up and gave it my all, trying to contribute to the win.”

Quickley extended his streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer to 27, spanning his time with the Raptors following a trade from the New York Knicks. This 27-game run equals his career best.

For the Nets, Mikal Bridges put up 21 points, and Cam Thomas contributed 19 points in a losing effort as Brooklyn suffered their third straight defeat.

With the win, the Raptors now sit just one and a half games behind the Nets in the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference. Both teams are vying to surpass the Atlanta Hawks for the coveted 10th and final playoff spot in the East.

Raptors’ head coach Darko Rajakovic expressed, “It’s just one game. I still believe we can improve in several areas, but tonight was certainly a step in the right direction.”

Barnes and Trent Jr. each scored eight points in the opening quarter, helping Toronto to establish a 30-21 lead. Barnes also collected five rebounds in the quarter, matched by Jakob Poeltl.

At halftime, the Raptors held a 59-48 advantage, but the Nets made a third-quarter surge with an 11-2 run. Thomas fueled the rally with seven of the Nets’ 11 points, cutting Toronto’s lead to just one point. However, the Raptors responded with a decisive 10-0 run to regain control.

The game marked Kevin Ollie‘s debut as the Nets’ interim head coach following the dismissal of Jacque Vaughn earlier in the week. Additionally, Dennis Schroder faced his former team for the first time since being traded to the Nets before the deadline.