Brooklyn Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV, left, bumps Toronto Raptors guard Javon Freeman-Liberty (0) off the ball as teammate Ochai Agbaji (30) looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto, Monday, March 25, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
TORONTO (AP) — Dennis Schroder scored 19 points against his former team, Trendon Watford had 11 of his season-high 19 points in the second quarter and the Brooklyn Nets snapped a six-game losing streak by beating the short-handed Toronto Raptors 96-88 on Monday night.
Mikal Bridges scored 13 points and Jalen Wilson added 12 as the Nets outscored Toronto 28-19 in the fourth quarter to help Brooklyn win for the first time since March 10 at Cleveland.
“When it got down to crunch time, we just took care of the ball and executed,” Watford said.
Brooklyn coach Kevin Ollie said the Nets, who were staying over in Toronto, planned to celebrate with a late meal at an upscale Italian restaurant on Monday night before flying to Washington on Tuesday for Wednesday’s game against the Wizards.
“I told these guys it’s hard to win in the NBA,” Ollie said. “We’re going to get a nice team dinner. The wine is going to taste a little bit better.”
Gary Trent Jr. scored 18 points and Javon Freeman-Liberty had 15 for Toronto. The Raptors have lost 11 straight and are winless since a home victory over Charlotte on March 3.
Among Toronto’s seven absent players was center Jontay Porter. The NBA has opened an investigation into Porter amid gambling allegations, a league spokesman and Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic confirmed Monday night.
Rajakovic said he learned the news about Porter shortly before the game and did not speak to his players about it.
“We were focused on basketball, we were focused on the game,” Rajakovic said. “Nobody wants that kind of situation to happen to anybody, to any team. We’re just going to deal with it.”
Porter’s locker was…
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