Copyright Sports Illustrated
The Toronto Raptors are marching forward after beating the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center with a comfortable 10-point victory. However, the win didn't seem to be on lock until the second half as the team started off sluggish. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic spoke about how the team cannot get complacent. “We don’t have the luxury (of taking a team lightly),” Rajakovic said via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange. “You can always fall into a trap like that. We have to focus one game at a time and take it very seriously. We’re focusing on us and the standard we want to play up to.” Raptors take care of business vs. Nets It wasn't pretty, but the Raptors were able to settle down and get their lead back in the second quarter, outscoring the Nets 32-22 in the frame. In a 10-point victory, that's what matters. The Raptors also got a boost in the second half from point guard Immanuel Quickley, who scored 18 of his 24 points after halftime. “Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in,” Quickley said via Grange. “But that doesn’t change the coverage of the defence. The defence still has to honour the people that can shoot the ball with gravity … so that frees up your teammates, so that’s why you have to be aggressive whether the balls go in or not.” Quickley's resurgence certainly helped the Raptors in the win and he's growing more comfortable after a difficult start. Quickley has scored in double figures in each of the last four games, increasing his output in every game. His 24 points were a season-high and the team should benefit from his improvements. After Quickley's rough start to the season, it appears that he is getting out of the funk he was in. If the Raptors are going to be in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference this season, they have to pull out these kind of wins. The Raptors are a better team than the Nets, so they cannot afford to let a win go by the wayside. The standings at the end of the season could come down to a game or two against other playoff hopefuls and games like this could matter more when it is all said and done. Now, the Raptors face a tougher test on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET.
