Raptors-Nets Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Jan 14 2013 1:45PM

Solid defense has been the catalyst as interim coach P.J. Carlesimo has helped lead the Brooklyn Nets to their longest winning streak in nearly seven years.

He still was an assistant last month when their victory north of the border seemed to ignite the Toronto Raptors.

Brooklyn looks to earn a seventh straight victory while defeating visiting Toronto for the third time this season Tuesday night.

The Nets (22-15) have won eight of nine under Carlesimo since he took over for the fired Avery Johnson on Dec. 27, including a season-best six straight to mark their longest streak since a 14-game run from March 12-April 6, 2006.

Brooklyn held Indiana to 11 fourth-quarter points in Sunday's 97-86 home victory, and opponents are scoring an average of 86.8 points over its last four games.

Its bench is averaging 38.8 points during the winning streak after scoring 27.7 per game prior to that.

"We defended very, very well," Carlesimo said. "Our defense was great and the bench was fantastic. The defense fuels us."

It's unclear if Gerald Wallace will be back in the lineup after missing Sunday's contest with bruised ribs suffered in Friday's win over Phoenix. Deron Williams scored 22 points and added nine assists despite playing through a thigh contusion.

"The last time we won five in a row we went (3-10) so this was a big game for us," Williams said. "We needed this game."

That rough stretch led to Johnson's firing, though one of those few victories Williams spoke of was a 94-88 win at Toronto on Dec. 12 that dropped the Raptors to 4-19. They have since gone 10-4 despite falling 107-96 to Milwaukee on Sunday.

Toronto (14-23) has played its last 15 games without Andrea Bargnani (elbow) and nine in a row without rookie starting center Jonas Valanciunas (broken finger), but Ed Davis and Amir Johnson have helped fill those voids.

Davis scored a career high-tying 24 points and added 12 rebounds versus Brooklyn last month, matching the totals he had against the Nets in a victory April 26. He has averaged 12.5 points starting in Bargnani's place compared to 6.1 when he comes off the bench.

Johnson is averaging 18.3 points and 10.8 rebounds while starting the last four after scoring a season-high 22 points and adding a season high-tying 14 rebounds Sunday.

He came off the bench in his previous 32 appearances.

"They're both doing an unbelievable job," said Jose Calderon, who had 15 assists against the Nets in December when he began a stretch of 15 straight starts in place of Kyle Lowry after predominantly coming off the bench. "Defense, offense, rebounding - we need them to win games."

Johnson has been playing well despite battling a right foot injury, though he couldn't help the Raptors avoid blowing a 20-point lead Sunday. Leading scorer DeMar DeRozan, averaging a career-best 17.9 points, said Johnson's play should inspire the team.

"There's no excuse when you're out there on the floor, because (Johnson) walks in here, he can't walk, but I guarantee you Amir will be here and help us pick it up next game," DeRozan said.

Lowry missed seven games with a torn triceps - beginning with the Brooklyn matchup last month - and has backed up Calderon for the last eight, but he netted 28 points and added eight assists in a 107-100 loss to the Nets on Nov. 3.

Brook Lopez scored 27 points for Brooklyn in that contest.

Nets beat Raptors for season-high 7th win in a row

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted Jan 16 2013 1:31AM

NEW YORK (AP) P.J. Carlesimo put his head in his hand, sighed and brushed back his hair, hardly looking like a guy with a 9-1 record.

"I'm really struggling," he started, adding that the Brooklyn Nets faced a "major, major concern."

It's a good one, though. They simply have so many guys playing well that it's tough for Carlesimo to get them all minutes.

Brook Lopez had 22 points and nine rebounds, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams each scored 21 points, and the Nets extended their season-high winning streak to seven games with a 113-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.

Andray Blatche added 14 points for the Nets, in the midst of their longest winning streak since running off 14 in a row late in the 2005-06 season. A .500 team when they fired Avery Johnson late last month, Brooklyn has won nine of 10 under its interim coach and pulled within 1 1/2 games of the New York Knicks for the Atlantic Division lead.

"We're just kind of feeding off each other, man. We're in a nice rhythm right now and hopefully we can keep it this way," Johnson said. "It's a lot of fun to watch and I'm sure guys are having a great time in this locker room."

The Nets, with the NBA's longest current winning streak, pulled away early in the fourth quarter for their sixth straight home victory.

Kyle Lowry scored 21 points for the Raptors, who have dropped two in a row but still have 10 wins in their last 15 games. Jose Calderon and Amir Johnson each finished with 15 for the Raptors, whose 14 turnovers led to 24 points.

"We just uncharacteristically lost it, turned the ball over and every time we did they scored on it," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "I thought it was the difference in the game."

Mirza Teletovic added 10 points off the Nets' bench, keying a second-quarter hot streak that snapped Brooklyn out of a sluggish start.

After allowing 13 points to Phoenix and 11 to Indiana in its last two fourth quarters, Brooklyn quickly pulled away at the start of the final period in this one.

Blatche had three baskets and MarShon Brooks the other two in a 10-2 burst to open the quarter, with both contributing to one of the Nets' prettiest plays of the season that capped it.

Teletovic blocked a shot to trigger a fast break, with Brooks and Williams exchanging passes as they rushed up the floor before Williams threw a pass behind his back to a trailing Blatche, who put it in for a 93-78 advantage with 8:03 to play.

"Our confidence is high right now, definitely as a group," Williams said, "and when you're winning, when you're having fun, I think everybody picks their game up a little bit and feels like they have to if they want to join in, if they don't want to be left out."

Lowry, who was expected to miss the second half after spraining his left ankle, brought the Raptors within eight, but seven straight points by the Nets reopened a 15-point advantage on Johnson's jumper with 3:52 to go, and a final flurry by Lowry, who scored 19 in the fourth, was not enough.

"I thought I was done, but we've got a great training staff. I didn't want to leave my teammates," Lowry said. "I've been hurt a lot this year and I just wanted to get back out there with my teammates, and Coach trusted me that I said I was OK and he put me back in."

The Nets improved to 15-0 against teams below .500 and are just two games back of Miami in the Eastern Conference standings.

It was tied at 27 after one, then Toronto built a 10-point lead as Brooklyn missed its first seven shots of the second quarter. The Nets ran off seven straight points, including Teletovic's first 3-pointer to get within 40-37.

The Raptors were still up by three before Teletovic made consecutive 3-pointers and a free throw, a seven-point run that gave the Nets a 52-48 lead with 24 seconds remaining in the half. It was 54-50 when the teams headed to the locker rooms.

The Nets opened some room when Williams, Johnson and Keith Bogans hit 3-pointers in an 11-3 spurt that gave them a nine-point lead in the third quarter, and they blew it open with a big run to start the fourth.

Notes: The Nets start a home-and-home series with the Hawks on Wednesday in Atlanta, where Joe Johnson was a perennial All-Star until being traded to the Nets last summer. The second game is in Brooklyn on Friday. ... The Raptors originally said Lowry would sit the remainder of the game after he was hurt, though he missed only the third quarter. Casey said Calderon had a hip pointer and Alan Anderson needed dental work, saying his team that's already missing Andrea Bargnani and rookie big man Jonas Valanciunas was "walking wounded." ... The Nets are 3-0 against the Raptors this season.

Notebook: Nets 113, Raptors 106

Jake Appleman, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Jan 15, 2013 11:02 PM - Updated Tue Jan 15, 2013 11:02 PM

THE FACTS: The Nets overcame a sluggish start to the first quarter and outplayed the Raptors the rest of the way, winning 113-106 at Barclays Center. Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams combined for 64 points, while Andray Blatche and Mirza Teletovic sparked the Nets off the bench. The Nets remain undefeated in January.

QUOTABLE: "That has kind of been the story for us the past few games, the second halves are really where we bring the energy."
-- Lopez

THE STAT: The Nets turned the ball over only six times.

TURNING POINT: Back-to-back second-quarter 3-pointers from Teletovic put the Nets up 51-48. They maintained some semblance of control the rest of the way.

QUOTABLE II: "The young man off the Brooklyn bench, Mirza Teletovic, he came in and opened the game up. We lost him in transition a couple of times and he's too great a shooter to have miscommunication."
-- Raptors Coach Dwane Casey

INSIDE THE ARENA: At one point, fans in the upper level chanted, "U-S-A!"

ROOKIE WATCH: Teletovic registered season and career highs with three 3-pointers and three assists. Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo said he thought Teletovic had more than three assists. For the Raptors, Terrence Ross struggled with his shot and Quincy Acy chipped in six points in six minutes.

NOTABLE: Kyle Lowry, who starred in the first ever regular season game at Barclays Center, sprained his ankle in the second quarter. He returned midway through the fourth quarter and connected on a flurry of 3-pointers to keep the Raptors within striking distance and lead the team in scoring with 21. ... Late in the second quarter, Damion James checked in for the first time since signing a 10-day contract. He played 17 seconds. ... The crowd came alive after Williams found Blatche with a behind-the-back pass for a layup. Prior to the behind the back pass, Williams and MarShon Brooks executed the rare give-and-go-and-give in transition. The fast break began with a block by Teletovic.

UP NEXT: For the Raptors, Wednesday vs. Chicago, Friday @ Philadelphia, Sunday vs. LA Lakers. For the Nets, Wednesday @ Atlanta, Friday vs. Atlanta, Monday @ New York.

• Raptors: Bargnani, Valanciunas
• Nets: Shengelia, Wallace

• Raptors: --
• Nets: --

• Lead Changes: 8
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #16 David Guthrie, #68 Marat Kogut
• Attendance: 16236
• Duration: 2:13