Nets shoot for fifth straight win in Toronto

Brooklyn looks to continue hot stretch vs. slumping Raptors

December 15, 2022 John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Kevin Durant will continue chasing MVP honors and the Nets' season-high fifth straight victory Friday night in Toronto. AP Photo by Nick Wass

Share this:

Kevin Durant spent most of the summer demanding a trade out of Brooklyn.

Kyrie Irving was suspended eight games last month for posting a link to an antisemitic documentary.

But that was then, and this is now.

Durant is chasing NBA Most Valuable Player honors and Irving is clicking on all cylinders with his fellow superstar as the Nets head to Toronto Friday night seeking their season-high fifth straight win and ninth in the last 10 games.

“We know the talent we have. This is our group. No more excuses, no more distractions,” Irving insisted after Brooklyn’s 112-100 triumph in Toronto Monday night on the second leg of this ongoing four-game road trip.

Kyrie Irving has put his November suspension and a turbulent offseason behind him as the Nets head to Toronto on Friday. AP Photo by John Minchillo

The Nets (17-12) loaded up at Barclays Center earlier this month, winning six games on their season-high seven-game homestand to put a mediocre 9-11 start to the campaign behind them.

Judging from their performances of late, both Durant and Irving appear to be all in for Brooklyn after a turbulent offseason that saw both on the trade market.

Neither yielded enough to please general manager Sean Marks and owner Joseph Tsai.

So the dynamic tandem remained in place, and the Nets finally appear to be taking off.

But not without any significant changes.

Marks ousted Steve Nash as head coach to start November, and Jacque Vaughn has done nothing but thrive in the role since taking over.

Brooklyn is 15-7 since, and Marks has to feel pleased that Durant and Irving, as well as a healthy Ben Simmons, have been playing winning basketball under his guidance.

“(Vaughn) has a proven ability to get the best out of our players, hold them accountable and play a cohesive, team-first style of basketball,” Marks noted when he removed the interim tag from Vaughn’s title last month.

That has proven true with the Nets both defensively, and in Durant and Irving’s consistent production.

Durant, who is averaging 30 points per contest, matched that total Monday in Toronto and has reached the mark or surpassed it in all but two of his last nine games.

Irving, netting 25.3 points per game, is averaging 27.0 this month, including Monday’s 24-point effort after back-to-back 33-point games.

The Nets can also climb above .500 (7-7) on the road with a win in Toronto, which has lost three in a row and six of its last eight games.

Fred VanVleet scored a season-high 39 points Wednesday against visiting Sacramento, but missed a potential tying 3-pointer with four seconds to go.

Fred VanVleet and the Toronto Raptors will try to end a three-game slide and slow down the red-hot Nets Friday night. AP Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack

The Raptors (13-15) have already lost three meetings to the Nets this year, suffering a 109-105 setback in Brooklyn on Oct. 21 and a 112-98 home loss on Nov. 23.

The Nets handed the Raptors a 114-105 defeat at Barclays on Dec. 2 in a game that saw Irving put up a team-high 29 points while Durant was held to only 12.

Brooklyn will wrap up this trip Sunday in Detroit before returning to Barclays Wednesday to host defending NBA champion Golden State.