The Nets proved they could trade buckets with the Raptors.
But they also showed they couldn’t get a stop when they needed.
After forcing six straight ties, Brooklyn never got over the hump.
And they finally broke, coughing up 10 unanswered points in the waning moments of a 119-109 loss before a crowd of 18,038 at Scotiabank Arena.
Same teams.
Same score.
Nic Claxton reacts during the Nets’ Nov. 23 loss to the Raptors. AP
After the Nets had lost by an identical scoreline to the Raptors at Barclays Center back on Nov. 11, this time they actually performed much better on the road.
But not quite good enough, showing they could compete but not win.
With the score knotted at 104-all — after six straight ties — with under four minutes left, Brooklyn conceded a 10-0 run that decided it.
But from the perspective of Jordi Fernandez, his Nets squandered it by coming out flat from the start.
Follow all the basketball buzz in Brooklyn
Sign up for Inside the Nets by Brian Lewis, exclusively on Sports+.
Thank you
They allowed the first 12 points of the game, the first five points of the second half, and had to waste too much energy chasing the game.
“It started with our intentions from the beginning, right? We were not ready to play. If you’re picking and choosing, then basketball gods go ‘everything gets in the right place.’” Fernandez said. “It’s just a matter of our starting unit started 12-0 in the first quarter and 5-0 in the third quarter.