Raptors lead best-of-seven series 2-0 - Game 3 takes place on Friday night
Wednesday 19 August 2020 22:07, UK
Toronto are halfway to place in the Eastern Conference Playoffs semi-finals after a 104-99 victory over Brooklyn on Wednesday night.
Norman Powell scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, while VanVleet had 24 points and 10 assists to move the defending champion Raptors to within touching distance of a date with Boston or Philadelphia in the semi-finals.
Brooklyn have it all to do, and having led at the end of the first, second and third quarters will look back on a missed opportunity that leaves them having to win four of the next five games to keep their own Playoff dream alive
The Raptors, who raced to a 33-point first-half lead in Monday's win, fell behind by 14 in the first quarter just outside Orlando and had to work hard with the Nets still leading by six entering the fourth quarter.
However the Raptors opened the period with a 19-5 run to lead 93-85 with 6:21 remaining. Jarrett Allen's dunk cut Toronto's edge to 95-92 with 4:43 left. The lead climbed back to seven on two free throws by Kyle Lowry with 3:41 left.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot's 3-pointer with 39.8 seconds remaining pulled the Nets within 102-99.
When Toronto were called for a 24-second violation, Brooklyn were handed the ball with 15 seconds left, but Powell took advantage of a Nets turnover and made the clinching dunk with 5.6 seconds left.
Lowry had 21 points for Toronto and Pascal Siakam added 19.
Garrett Temple had 21 points for the Nets, Luwawu-Cabarrot added 17 points and Caris LeVert tallied 16 points and 11 assists. Allen and Joe Harris had 14 points and 15 rebounds each and Tyler Johnson scored 12 points.
The Nets led 33-29 after the first quarter. The Raptors tied the game in the first minute of the second quarter only to have the Nets open a five-point lead.
Toronto came back to lead by one point when Lowry converted a technical foul with 3:13 to play in the first half.
The Nets took a halftime lead of 53-50 after Luwawu-Cabarrot made a layup with 4.3 seconds left before Lowry tied the game with a 3-pointer on the first shot of the second half.
A stubborn Brooklyn answered with a 10-0 run. VanVleet then reeled off Toronto's next 10 points to cut the lead to two before the Nets pulled out to an 80-74 advantage after three quarters.
The teams return for the third game of the series on Friday night.
