Raptors ride strong 3rd quarter to win over Nets

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Pascal Siakam had 27 points and nine rebounds, OG Anunoby scored 25 points and the Toronto Raptors seized control in the third quarter in a 114-103 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night, extending their winning streak to four games.

Kyrie Irving had 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Nets, and Bruce Brown added 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Toronto made 13 of 24 shots (54%) and outscored the Nets 36-23 in the third quarter.

Jeff Green hit a 3-pointer and Irving followed with two in the final minutes of the first quarter, propelling the Nets to a 13-point lead, their largest of the game.

Toronto stormed ahead in the first eight minutes of the second half, hitting seven of its first nine 3-point shots and outscoring the Nets 34-14 to lead 90-72.

The Nets were down by eight early in the fourth quarter when Freddie Gillespie blocked a layup by Joe Harris, igniting a 7-0 Toronto run that put the Raptors up 104-89 with 7:37 left.

Irving and Brown helped the Nets cut the gap to five with 3:01 left, but they got no closer.

Raptors power forward Chris Boucher was helped off the floor with a leg injury with 10:53 remaining.

TIP-INS

Nets: F Kevin Durant missed a second game after aggravating his thigh injury Sunday at Miami. Durant, who has missed 35 of Brooklyn's 59 games, might play this weekend, according to coach Steve Nash. ... In the first nine minutes of the game, Joe Harris was 4 for 4 from behind the arc while the rest of the Nets were 0 for 7.

Raptors: The Raptors used a different starting lineup for an eighth straight game. ... Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Justin Watson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all wearing Raptors/Siakam jerseys, were given a scoreboard introduction. Godwin held a replica of the Vince Lombardi trophy. ... G-F Rodney Hood (knee) and G-F Paul Watson (knee) were inactive.

UP NEXT

Nets: Play at Indiana on Friday night.

Raptors: Play at New York on Saturday afternoon.

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