The only thing that matters are the standings.
The Nets absorbed their second straight loss to the Toronto Raptors, this time a 109-108 defeat on the other side of the Canadian border on Tuesday. It was a valiant effort considering the bludgeoning they took on the Barclays Center floor on Monday in New York.
But a loss is a loss. And this one makes two in a row.
The Raptors used a 13-2 run to pull away in the fourth quarter and outscored the Nets 28-19 in the final period. Nets veteran wing James Johnson hit a 3-pointer as time expired, but there was no contact, thus no foul, thus no opportunity for an extra point at the free-throw line.
The loss moves the Nets three games behind the Raptors, who sit seventh in the Eastern Conference, and four games behind the sixth-seeded Boston Celtics, who defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
Barring a winning streak of epic proportions, the Nets remain destined for the play-in tournament, where they’re set to meet the same Raptors team they lost twice to this week. Nets star Kyrie Irving is ineligible to travel across the border into Canada, and he remains ineligible to play at Barclays Center, even if the Key2NYC vaccine mandate is lifted on March 7.
That means under current mandates, there’s no scenario where Irving can help the Nets in a play-in tournament matchup against the Raptors. And if the Nets lose to the Raptors in the play-in game, they’ll have home-court advantage against the winner of the 9-10 game, which means Irving will be unable to help the Nets there, as well.
But Kevin Durant will, as will Ben Simmons, and Joe Harris might be returning as well. The Nets may be destined for play-in tournament basketball, but they still project to be one of the scariest teams in the playoffs, provided they survive the regular season and secure one of the seventh or eighth seeds.
With coach Steve Nash in the health and safety protocols, interim coach Jacque Vaughn said Durant remains on track to return either Thursday against the Miami Heat or Sunday in Boston against the Celtics. Nash, who is not exhibiting symptoms, will be eligible to clear the health and safety protocols on Saturday.
Five Nets players scored in double figures against the Raptors, including 19 points from Johnson and 18 points from Seth Curry, who hit a bomb of a 3 to give the Nets a late-game lead. But two late-game defensive three seconds calls on LaMarcus Aldridge proved critical: Gary Trent Jr. hit both free throws associated with the questionable calls, and two points proved the difference between winning and losing.
Luckily for Brooklyn, No. 7 is making his return soon. The Nets’ superstar forward is averaging about 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game. His scoring comes with great efficiency and great gravity, creating more opportunities for his teammates just with his sheer presence on the floor.
The Nets are banking on Durant’s greatness to lift them from the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. With no sign of another change in New York City’s vaccine mandate, no firm return timeline for Simmons (back tightness) and no clear decision on whether Harris’ gimpy ankle will require a second surgery, the Nets’ championship aspirations sit squarely on Durant’s shoulders.
