Dennis Schroder scored 15 fourth-quarter points to ignite Brooklyn to push past visiting Toronto, 106-102, on Wednesday night.
Both teams are out of playoff contention, but the Nets (32-48) got to enjoy the taste of victory in their final home game of the season.
Schroder hit the go-ahead layup, plus the added free throw after being fouled, to give the Nets a 102-100 lead with 35.3 seconds remaining.
Brooklyn turned the ball over, but rookie Noah Clowney provided a clutch block on Garrett Temple’s fast-break layup attempt with 13.1 seconds left, and the Nets were able to come up with the loose ball. Schroder made a pair of free throws to make it a two-possession game, and the Nets were able to hold on for the win.
Schroder finished the game with 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Cam Thomas led the Nets with a team-high 23 points. Nic Claxton had a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, with five blocks. Clowney had 10 points, seven rebounds and seven blocks. Cam Johnson had 13 points off the bench, while Mikal Bridges finished with 11 points.
Immanuel Quickley paced the Raptors (25-55) with 32 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Gradey Dick had 24 points and six 3-pointers. Jordan Nwora and Javon Freeman-Liberty combined for 23 points off the bench.
Toronto played without RJ Barrett and Gary Trent Jr. Despite the absences, the short-handed Raptors led for a majority of the game.
They led by as many as nine points late in the third quarter, until the Nets were able to battle back and take their first lead of the second half after a Schroder 3-pointer put Brooklyn in front, 90-88, with 5:59 left in the game.
It was a back-and-forth battle until the final buzzer, as Schroder led the Nets’ late-game push by scoring 15 of their last 19 points.
The Nets’ big men played a prominent role and combined for 15 blocks in the winning effort. Brooklyn also outrebounded Toronto as a team, 56-45.
–Field Level Media