Durant leads Nets over Raptors for 5th straight win

Kevin Durant had 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists and the visiting Brooklyn Nets defeated the Toronto Raptors, 116-103, on Sunday, November 7 (Monday, November 8, Manila time).

It was Durant’s 10th straight game with at least 20 points as the Nets won their fifth in a row, including the first two of a six-game road trip.

James Harden added 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists for the Nets. Blake Griffin had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Patty Mills scored 13 points off the bench, while Bruce Brown contributed 12 points.

Fred VanVleet had 21 points and 8 assists for the Raptors, who have lost two in a row. OG Anunoby added 16 points, Pascal Siakam had 15, Gary Trent Jr. had 14, and Precious Achiuwa scored 13 points.

Siakam, playing his first game of the season after recovering from shoulder surgery, played 25 minutes.

Brooklyn outscored Toronto 35-17 in the third quarter to take an 11-point lead into the fourth. The Raptors cut the margin to 7 before Mills scored 6 straight points.

VanVleet’s three-pointer trimmed the lead to 7 with 4:52 left in the fourth quarter, but the Nets went ahead by 12 on Durant’s jumper with 3:59 to play. Harden followed with a three-pointer to bump the lead to 15. The Raptors answered with a 7-0 run, but couldn’t make up the rest of the margin.

Brooklyn led 29-26 after one quarter.

Toronto took a 43-42 lead when Achiuwa made a three-pointer with 5:33 to play in the second quarter. The lead reached 5 when Anunoby capped a 7-0 run with a layup.

A dunk by Scottie Barnes after he stripped the ball from Durant put the Raptors ahead by 7 points with 29.9 seconds left in the quarter. Toronto led 60-53 at halftime.

Griffin’s three-pointer capped Brooklyn’s 9-0 run to open the third quarter.

Brooklyn took a 10-point lead on Durant’s three-pointer with 3:57 left in the quarter. Toronto responded by scoring the next 8 points, but Durant completed the third-quarter scoring to give Brooklyn an 88-77 lead.

Khem Birch (knee) did not play for the Raptors. – Rappler.com