Nets make late but triumphant debut in Brooklyn

BROOKLYN, New York (AFP) –

Brook Lopez #11 of the Brooklyn Nets speaks with teammate Deron Williams during a game against the Toronto Raptors at the Barclays Center on November 3, 2012 in New York City. Lopez scored 27 points and Deron Williams added 19 to spark the Brooklyn Nets to a 107-100 victory over Toronto

Brook Lopez scored 27 points and Deron Williams added 19 to spark the Brooklyn Nets to a 107-100 victory over Toronto on Saturday in a triumphant debut in their new $1 billion home arena.

The Nets saw their originally scheduled opener against the uptown rival New York Knicks postponed from Thursday to November 26 because of damage suffered around the city as a result of killer storm Hurricane Sandy striking on Monday.

Pushing that game back meant that the Nets, who moved from New Jersey after last season, had to wait until the Raptors visited on Saturday to make their debut at the Barclays Center but made it worth the wait for Brooklyn fans.

It was the first home game for a Brooklyn-based major sports team since Major League Baseball’s Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles after the 1957 season.

Lopez produced a key three-point play and Williams added two late free throws to spark the victory. Williams finished with nine assists while Joe Johnson had 14 points. C.J. Watson came off the bench to contribute 15 points.

Toronto’s Kyle Lowry scored a game-high 28 points and contributed eight rebounds and eight assists while DeMar DeRozan added 25 points for the Raptors, who fell to 0-2 on the season.