Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets Prediction & Match Preview - February 28th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22

The visiting Toronto Raptors are looking to win their first game against the Brooklyn Nets in the season series on Monday. [Photo: Sporting News]

The Toronto Raptors will finish their five-game road trip with a mini-series against the Brooklyn Nets starting on Monday at Barclays Center. Toronto will try to win their first game in three tries against Brooklyn when they meet.

The wild race for a play-in spot in the stacked Eastern Conference is just starting to heat up. The Toronto Raptors currently sit in seventh place but can still catch up with the Boston Celtics for the enviable sixth seed to avoid the special qualifying tournament.

The Toronto Raptors are on a two-game losing streak and will be raring to end their subpar performances with a win against the Nets on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets ended their losing streak against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks in their last game. Kyrie Irving had his best game of the season in dragging the undermanned Nets to a spectacular win over the loaded Bucks.

Season-high 38 points in the W 🌟

@qatarairways https://t.co/9EINSG0Vlj

Unfortunately, New York City hasn’t changed its vaccine laws yet, which will prevent Irving from playing on the team’s home floor. Without their "Big 3," the Brooklyn Nets will count on the likes of veteran Patty Mills and rookie Cam Thomas.

Additionally, new acquisitions such as Seth Curry and Andre Drummond have also given the Nets a much-needed boost since the trade deadline. Both Curry and Drummond are expected to enjoy a strong outing against the Raptors.

Game Details

Fixture: Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets | 2021-22 NBA season

Date & Time: Monday, February 28th; 7:30 PM ET (Tuesday, March 1st; 6:00 AM IST)

Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

Toronto Raptors Preview

The team from The North are still hoping to make the postseason without going through the play-in tourney. [Photo: NBA.com]

After winning a season-high eight consecutive games, the Toronto Raptors have been struggling of late. They are only 1-4 in their last 5 games, including back-to-back losses to the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks. Worryingly, they have lost by an average of 22.8 points in their last four losses.

The Toronto Raptors were looking like a serious threat to grab one of the top-four playoff seeds until they lost by 30, 32 and 27 in their last three games. Toronto’s defense has been solid, if not great, for most of the season. They rank 15th in the NBA with a 110.3 defensive rating. That rating has dropped to 119.1 in the last five games, which will put them dead last in the league by a wide margin.

For the Toronto Raptors to get back on track, their defense must show up. They have the length and athleticism to be one of the best teams in the East. The Raptors will be looking to put in more effort and energy to improve on that side of the ball.

Key Player - Pascal Siakam

Fred VanVleet deserved the All-Star recognition, but Pascal Siakam has been playing like his old All-Star self since the start of February. After struggling in his return from a lengthy spell on the injury list, the former Most Improved Player has since found his bearings.

Siakam is averaging an impressive 22.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1 steal per contest this month for the Toronto Raptors. The lanky and versatile forward is also shooting 52.4%, including a decent 36.4% from behind the arc.

Pascal Siakam has always wanted to defy positional conventions.

But being labeled a point guard by Nick Nurse?

Perhaps he didn’t expect things to shift this far.

@ekoreen on Siakam’s increased playmaking: theathletic.com/3148799/?sourc… https://t.co/b4ZtcpMk35

Head coach Nick Nurse appeared to be using the versatile 27-year-old forward in different ways when it looked like he had his legs underneath him. Siakam is a walking mismatch considering the way the Toronto Raptors line up. Expect him to continue his stellar play against the shorthanded Nets.

Toronto Raptors Predicted Lineup

G - Fred VanVleet | G - Gary Trent Jr. | F - Pascal Siakam | F - Scottie Barnes | C - Khem Birch

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Brooklyn Nets Preview

The Brooklyn Nets won't have their Big 3 to lead them against the Toronto Raptors. [Photo: Hoops Habit]

The Brooklyn Nets desperately need a win to keep their season afloat. They are also badly looking to improve their chances of making the Play-In tournament. All this while they wait for the return of Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons. Although Kyrie Irving is healthy, he remains ineligible to play in home games, which makes their situation even more frustrating.

Without their superstars, the Brooklyn Nets will try to scrape their way through the superior manpower of the Raptors. Old reliables such as LaMarcus Aldridge and Mills will have to take on more of a workload than usual to offset the absence of their star players.

Fortunately for the Brooklyn Nets, Andre Drummond and Seth Curry have proven to be significant additions following the Ben Simmons-James Harden trade. Drummond and Curry were crucial in the team’s 126-123 win over the Bucks on Sunday.

Key Player - Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond has been spectacular since getting the starting center job for the Brooklyn Nets. In five games since the trade, he is averaging 11.2 points, 11 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals.

The 28-year-old bruising big man was a thorn in the side for the Bucks, helping the Brooklyn Nets with his 17 points, 12 rebounds, a team-high 5 assists and 2 steals. He also made a crucial block on Giannis Antetokounmpo to hold off Milwaukee’s late-game charge.

17 PTS | 12 REB | 5 AST | 2 STL

@AndreDrummond did a little bit of everything against the Bucks 🎞️ https://t.co/Vras53Sbde

The absence of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons and Joe Harris will only give Andre Drummond more opportunities to showcase his stuff. Drummond’s interior presence will help open up space for shooters like Seth Curry to operate.

Brooklyn Nets Predicted Lineup

G - Cam Thomas | G - Seth Curry | F - Bruce Brown | F - James Johnson | C - Andre Drummond

Raptors vs Nets Match Prediction

After Kyrie Irving’s brilliant performance against the Bucks, the Brooklyn Nets will be back to playing without their superstars, with Durant also out. An upset does not seem likely, but if the Toronto Raptors play at least decent defense, they might be able to snap their current slump.

Where to watch the Raptors vs Nets game

The NBA League Pass will stream the game between the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets live. Local coverage of the matchup is available via TSN (The Sports Network) and YES Network.

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