Field Level Media
Aug 23, 2020
Reserve Norman Powell scored a career playoff high 29 points and the Toronto Raptors completed a four-game sweep of the undermanned Brooklyn Nets in their first-round playoff series Sunday with a 150-122 victory near Orlando.
Serge Ibaka added a playoff career best 27 points off the bench and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Raptors, who swept a best-of-seven playoff series for the first time in their 25-year franchise history.
The Raptors, who set a franchise record for points in a playoff game on Sunday, will play the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Toronto played most of the game without guard Kyle Lowry, who had two points and three assists in nine minutes.
With about three minutes to play in the first quarter, Lowry left the court for the dressing room after twisting his ankle and did not return.
The Raptors took the lead early in the game and built it relentlessly until they had a 29-point advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Pascal Siakam added 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for Toronto. Terence Davis chipped in with 14 points, Matt Thomas scored 12 points and OG Anunoby had 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Raptors finished with 100 points coming from the bench.
Caris LeVert led Brooklyn with 35 points and added six assists and six rebounds. Tyler Johnson added 13 points, Dzanan Musa had 12, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 11 points, Garrett Temple had 10 points and Jarrett Allen contributed eight points and 15 rebounds for the Nets, who played without several top players.
The Raptors led 39-32 after the first quarter, overcoming a fast start by the Nets, and pushed it out to a 14-point lead on Ibaka's six-foot hook shot with 7:33 remaining in the second quarter.
Allen got the Nets as close as seven points after a pair of free throws with 1:37 left in the half and Toronto led 77-68 at the break. Ibaka had 19 points and nine rebounds in the first half.
LeVert sizzled early, with 26 first-half points, but the Raptors opened the third quarter on a 17-2 surge with Powell scoring seven of the points on a dunk, a layup and a 3-pointer.
Davis beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer to end the third quarter with the Raptors leading 116-87.
--Field Level Media