Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets Prediction & Match Preview - December 14th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Brooklyn Nets will host the Toronto Raptors at the Barclays Center on December 14th.
The Toronto Raptors will head into this game on the back of a 124-101 win against the Sacramento Kings, which sees them improve to 13-14 on the season.
The Brooklyn Nets are also coming off a 116-104 win against the Detroit Pistons as the side remains at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Match Details
Fixture - Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets | 2021-22 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Tuesday, December 14th, 2021; 7:30 PM ET (Wednesday, December 15th, 2021; 6:00 AM IST.)
Venue - Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY.
Toronto Raptors Preview
With their win against the Sacramento Kings, the Raptors are now a game out of being .500 on the season. Winning their second consecutive game, the Raptors have a lot of catching up to do as they find themselves on the edge of play-in contention.
The game against the Kings saw some fantastic contributions across the board. On the back of a 70-point first half, the team saw nine players in their rotation record double-digit scoring. With Chris Boucher leading the charge with 17 points, the Toronto Raptors shot an efficient 54.4% from the field while restricting their turnovers to only eight for the night.
As the frontcourt pairing of Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes continues to be effective for the side, the Toronto Raptors will need their backcourt to step up in order to become competitive again.
Scottie Barnes (16 PTS, 5 BLK, 38.8 FPTS) and Pascal Siakam (16 PTS, 8 REB, 36.6 FPTS) lead the @Raptors to a convincing home W. https://t.co/Zq8Y223mwD
Key Player - Fred VanVleet
Although the game against Sacramento saw him play fewer minutes, Fred VanVleet is a crucial aspect of the Toronto Raptors' offense. Averaging 19.7 points per game this season along with 6.4 assists per game, VanVleet played a huge role in mobilizing the side's offense.
Fred VanVleet. Clutch. 😤
(via @NBA)
https://t.co/rnl4UCiG7I
Coming off a 12-point outing against the Kings, VanVleet struggled to find his stroke from beyond the arc. Shooting a solid 38.9% on the season, VanVleet went 2-7 from behind the arc, while Gary Trent Jr. shot 0-4.
VanVleet attempted the most threes in the game for the Toronto Raptors. With the hope that he will find his stroke in the game against the Brooklyn Nets, the Raptors will also hope that the guard will take on a bigger role offensively.
With the additional task of getting Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes into a rhythm on the offensive end, the Raptors' guard will play a huge role in their matchup in Brooklyn.
Toronto Raptors Predicted Lineup
G - Fred VanVleet | G - Gary Trent Jr. | F - Scottie Barnes | F - Pascal Siakam | C - Chris Boucher
Brooklyn Nets Preview
Following their win against the Detroit Pistons, the Brooklyn Nets are on the verge of building a winning streak. With two wins behind them, the side will look to continue their dominant performance as they return home from their four-game road trip.
On the back of a monstrous scoring performance by Kevin Durant, the Nets took the Pistons apart as the fourth quarter started. Durant went to work and began his rampage by scoring and facilitating openings for his team.
Although the Brooklyn Nets shot well from beyond the arc, a concern arises in the form of turnovers. With 18 turnovers in the game, the Nets showed issues in their offensive schemes. This could be attributed to the absence of James Harden, who sat out the game.
Key Player - Kevin Durant
Coming off his monster performance on Sunday, Kevin Durant will continue to be the Brooklyn Nets' key player in the game.
While hanging 51 points on the Pistons, Durant also facilitated the Nets' offense. Recording nine assists along with seven rebounds for the game, Kevin Durant practically carried the load of the Brooklyn Nets offense.
🔥 @KDTrey5 ERUPTS for 51 points...his highest-scoring game with the @BrooklynNets!
Buckets on buckets. https://t.co/PdYBjvEOUr
With James Harden also sitting the game out, the burden of scoring fell entirely on Durant. Only LaMarcus Alridge and Patty Mills made double-digit contributions to the scoring effort from the starting rotation.
Heading into the matchup against the Toronto Raptors, the Brooklyn Nets will look to Durant to lead their offense yet again. He will also draw the task of nullifying Raptors star Pascal Siakam.
Although Durant continues to make a strong case for MVP this year, his usage rate continues to be a concern. With a game-high 41 minutes played on Sunday, the Brooklyn Nets' coaching staff will need to find a way to preserve their superstar for the long run.
Brooklyn Nets Predicted Lineup
G - James Harden | G - Patty Mills | F - DeAndre' Bembry | F - Kevin Durant | C - LaMarcus Aldridge
Raptors vs Nets Match Predictions
The Brooklyn Nets should emerge as the winners in this game against the Toronto Raptors.
The Toronto Raptors will face Brooklyn on the road on the second night of a back-to-back. While this already stacks the odds against Toronto, the Brooklyn Nets are also likely to see James Harden return to the rotation in the next game.
With Kevin Durant being virtually unstoppable, it seems unlikely that the Toronto Raptors will have an answer for the Nets superstar.
Where to watch Raptors vs Nets game?
The Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets game will be locally broadcast on YES. The game will also be available on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can also listen to the game on the radio by tuning into 101.9 FM / 660 AM.