Kyrie Irving beats buzzer, Nets top Raptors for fifth straight win
Nets guard Kyrie Irving, front left, is embraced by center Nic Claxton (33) after hitting the winning basket against the Toronto Raptors during an NBA basketball game in Toronto, Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. Credit: AP/Cole Burston
TORONTO — Kyrie Irving hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Brooklyn Nets rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 119-116 on Friday night, extending their winning streak to a season-high five.
Irving scored 15 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, eluding Toronto’s Fred VanVleet to connect on the winning basket.
Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Nic Claxton had 15 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six blocks as the Nets overcame an 18-point deficit to sweep the season series from Toronto for the first time since 2002-03.
VanVleet matched his season high with 39 points. Scottie Barnes had 26 and Pascal Siakam added 17 as the struggling Raptors lost their season-worst fourth straight.
Yuta Watanabe scored 17 points for the Nets against his former team, including a go-ahead 3 with 14 seconds left. Ben Simmons and T.J. Warren each had 10 points for Brooklyn, which has won nine of 10.
Irving found Watanabe in the corner for a 3-pointer that put the Nets up 116-114. After a timeout, Irving fouled a driving Barnes, who made both free throws to tie it with eight seconds remaining.
Toronto’s O.G. Anunoby sat out for the third straight game because of a sore left hip, while guard Gary Trent Jr. was not available because of a sore left quad.
Malachi Flynn scored 13 points as the Raptors lost back-to-back home games for the first time. Toronto is 10-5 north of the border.
The Raptors led 62-44 after a 3-pointer by Siakam with 1:17 left in the first half, but Brooklyn closed the second quarter on an 8-0 run, then outscored Toronto 17-8 in the first five minutes of the third to cut the deficit to 70-69.
Durant’s basket with 3:25 left in the third period gave Brooklyn a 77-76 lead, its first of the game. Toronto went 0 for 5 from 3-point range in the third and the Nets took an 88-84 lead to the fourth.
VanVleet ended a Toronto streak of nine consecutive missed 3-pointers by making a tying 3 with 3:06 left in the fourth, but Simmons and Durant answered with dunks.
VanVleet scored 12 straight points for Toronto in the first quarter, and the Raptors led 29-19 after one. Toronto had a 62-52 lead at halftime.
