Defense carries Nets past Raptors for 96-81 win

C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News on Dec 21, 2025

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NEW YORK — Defense set the tone Sunday night and carried Brooklyn home to a win.

The Nets limited the Toronto Raptors from the opening tip through the final possessions, pulling away late for a 96-81 win Sunday night at Barclays Center to move to 8-19 on the season.

After struggling against the Miami Heat, Michael Porter Jr. led the way with 24 points on 9-for-18 shooting, plus 11 rebounds and five assists, and Brooklyn got a boost from its rookies, too.

Brandon Ingram paced the Raptors with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Brooklyn caught an early break in the opening quarter when Toronto’s leading scorer, Ingram, headed to the locker room with 5:40 left and the Nets holding a 14-11 edge. The Nets leaned into that moment defensively, tightening up on the perimeter and limiting clean looks as Toronto struggled to find rhythm without him.

Then with 4:17 remaining in the period, the Nets turned to Nolan Traore for extended minutes. The rookie guard, recalled from Long Island with Drake Powell sidelined, settled in quickly. Traore consistently got into the paint and found open shooters, even if it resulted in just one assist during his first 11 minutes on the floor. He still made his presence felt offensively, scoring on a strong drive to the rim and later knocking down a pull-up 3-pointer.

Defense continued to drive Brooklyn’s success from the opening minutes on. The Nets held Toronto to 18 points in the first quarter, tied for the fewest they’ve allowed in an opening period this season, and carried a 24-18 lead into the second.

Ingram returned to start the second quarter, and Toronto responded with an 8-2 burst to tie the game at 26 with 10:30 left in the half. The teams remained locked in a tight contest until late in the period. With the score tied at 36 and 3:20 remaining, Egor Demin buried a 20-footer, followed by a pair of free throws from Porter. Brooklyn then seized control, closing the half with three straight 3-pointers from Noah Clowney, Porter and Demin to build a 10-point cushion at the break.

By halftime, Brooklyn had held Toronto to 39 points on 40.5% shooting while forcing 12 turnovers, marking the fewest points the Nets have allowed in a first half this season. Porter scored an efficient 17 points in his first 17 minutes, while Raptors All-Star Scottie Barnes was limited to just four.

A 15-point third-quarter lead slipped away as Brooklyn’s offense went ice cold. The Nets shot just 23.1% in the period, with only Porter and Clowney converting field goals. Toronto did enough on 40.7% shooting to outscore Brooklyn 26-18 and pull within two entering the fourth.

That momentum carried into the final frame, where Toronto grabbed its first lead since the second quarter with 10:55 remaining. Demin quickly answered. The rookie guard knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers, with a Terance Mann basket in between, to swing the lead back to Brooklyn and give the Nets a six-point cushion with 7:54 left.

Toronto scored just eight points the rest of the way as the Nets closed out a season-low 81-point defensive effort.

Clowney finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Demin added 16 points, five rebounds and three assists. Both went 4 for 8 from 3-point range. Traore chipped in eight points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in a career-high 22 minutes off the bench.

Brooklyn returns to action Tuesday against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

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