The first round of the NBA Playoffs continues on Tuesday and we will see Brooklyn Nets travel to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario to take on the Toronto Raptors in game 2 of their best-of-seven series. The game has a start time of 7:30 pm (Eastern) and will be televised locally on NBATv. Vegas odds have the Raptors listed as 4.5 point favorites, while the total sits at 188.5.
Stat Packs: The Brooklyn Nets year didn’t start of all the great, but they did play well in the 2nd half and were the sexy pick by many to take this series from the Raptors. They didn’t disappoint in game by winning on Toronto’s home floor by a score of 94-87. The win now has the Nets at 17-25 on the road. The Nets average just 98.5 ppg on the year, but they are a solid shooting team, hitting 45.9% of their shots to rank 12th in the league, while also hitting 36.9% from long range, which is 11th. 5 players average in double figures led by Joe Johnson, who scores 15.9 ppg, while Deron Williams (14.3 ppg), Paul Pierce (13.8 ppg) Marcus Thornton (12.3 ppg) and Andray Blatche (11.2 ppg) round out the double digit scorers on the team. Pierce recently became the fourth active player and the 18th in NBA history with 25,000 career points. On the defensive end of the floor the Nets have been solid, as they have allowed just 99.5 ppg on the year, to rank 11th in the league.
The Atlantic Division was a very weak on this year, but the Toronto Raptors were the class of that buck, posting a 48-34 record to win the division. The Raptors played well down the stretch, winning 9 of their last 12 games and they were 26-15 at home for the year, but that didn’t matter in game one as the Nets walked away with the 7 point win. Toronto ranks 13th in scoring (101.3 ppg) and in shooting 22nd in shooting (44.5%), but they hit their threes at a 37.2% clip (9th) and their free throws as a 78.2% clip (5th). DeMar DeRozen leads the offense with 22.7 ppg, while Kyle Lowry is second at 17.9 ppg. Jonas Valanciunas is 3rd in scoring at 11.3 ppg, while leading the team in rebounding at 8.8 rpg. Defensively, the Raptors have been tough, as they rank 7th in the league in points allowed (98.0 ppg) and 10th in defensive FG% (45.0%).
Pick: I like the Nets in this one. I know all about the Zig-Zag theory, but I don't see it playing out here. TYhe Nets were one of the best teams in the NBA in the 2nd half of the year and showed that they are ready for the playoffs by taking out the Raptors in game one. Toronto is a good team, but still very young and just not ready for playoff ball, while the Nets are an experienced team with their starting roster playing in over 400 combined playoff games. I look for the Nets to complete the 2 game sweep in Toronto tonight.
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Handicapping Tips: Basketball Specialization
Steve Fezzik, from Pregame.com, discusses how specialization in basketball can aid you in your handicapping.