The Toronto Raptors dropped their sixth game in a row, as they fell to the Brooklyn Nets 101-94.
Tank battle
This was a battle between two teams that have their sights set on the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft. The Raptors and Nets look destined to be at the bottom of the standings once the season is over. In this one, Scottie Barnes returned from his right ankle injury earlier than expected. It was initially reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania that Barnes was going to miss “several weeks,” but he returned after missing just two games. However, the Raptors were missing other key pieces in Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett and Davion Mitchell along with Bruce Brown and Immanuel Quickley who remain out. Barnes boosted the Raptors offense as he finished with 16 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds but it wasn’t enough. The Raptors fell to 7-21 and created a 4.5 game cushion over the Nets in the reverse standings.
Ochai Agbaji steps up
Agbaji continues to impress for the Raptors. Coming into this game, Agbaji knocked down 44.3 percent of his three-point attempts. Against the Nets he hit 50 percent of his threes going 4-for-8 from downtown to lead the Raptors with 20 points. This sample size suggests that Agbaji’s three-point shooting is not a fluke and his development is real.
Youngest starting lineup ever
The Raptors made franchise history on Thursday night by rolling out their youngest starting lineup ever. With Barrett and Poeltl both sidelined, the Raptors started a group that featured Barnes, Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, Ochai Agbaji and Jonathan Mogbo. The average age of the starting unit was 22.2-years-old. For as fun as it was to have a youthful lineup out there, the Raptors weren’t able to find their groove against the struggling Nets. However, with the Raptors likely headed towards another lost year, there will be many more experimental lineups like this to come especially at the end of the season.
Next on tap
The Raptors will have two days off before they host Fred VanVleet and the Houston Rockets on Dec. 22.
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