After splitting the first two games of their best-of-seven series, the Nets have outscored the Raptors by two points — a perfect illustration of how close this matchup has been.
With that in mind, here’s a look at a few of the things we’ve learned as both teams prepare for Game 3 in Brooklyn on Friday:
— The Nets shot terribly from 3-point range in Toronto, but that should change as the series shifts back to Barclays Center. Since the Nets switched to their smaller lineup on Jan. 1, they’ve shot 39.2 percent from behind the arc at home, compared to 34.4 percent on the road.
That stat has translated to the four regular-season matchups with the Raptors. The Nets shot 22-for-44 (50 percent) from 3 at home and 12-for-39 (30.7 percent) on the road. The Nets missed a ton of open looks during the first two games, and if those same shots fall in the two games in Brooklyn, the Nets will expect to win them both.
— Jason Kidd kept saying over the final few weeks of the regular season he wouldn’t shorten his rotation once he got to the playoffs, and he’s been true to his word. After playing 10 players in Game 1 — but surprisingly benching Andrei Kirilenko — Kidd played 11 in Game 2, playing nine at least 19 minutes and only two over 30.
That included playing Kevin Garnett 19 minutes in Game 2, leaving some to question whether Kidd should begin to extend the future Hall of Famer’s minutes. Kidd, though, dismissed the notion.
“We may stretch some of the guys a few minutes,” Kidd said, “but with Kevin, the plan has remained consistent from the beginning of the season, and I don’t see that changing.”
Don’t expect to see Kidd go away from the philosophy he’s relied upon all season, either.
— For all of the talk about the Nets’ bench depth, the two best reserves in the series have been Raptors guard Greivis Vasquez and forward Patrick Patterson.
Vasquez has terrorized the Nets, scoring in double-digits and picking up eight assists in each game while only committing three turnovers. Patterson gives Toronto a stretch-four with the size to bang down low — helping to eliminate some of the matchup benefits Paul Pierce has at power forward.
If Vasquez and Patterson continue to be the standout reserves, the Nets will be in for a difficult series. They hope the change in venue will work in their favor, though, as role players tend to struggle away from home.
— Each team has staked out one distinct advantage through two games, with the Nets dominating in turnovers while the Raptors have controlled the boards. The Nets have forced Toronto into committing 40 turnovers, which they’ve converted into 34 points, while only having 19 turnovers themselves. Those have led to 20 Raptors points.
Toronto, on the other hand, has crushed the Nets on the glass, outrebounding them 97-67, with Jonas Valanciunas corralling 32. If either team can limit either of their respective deficiencies, it could be a series-changer. However, because the Nets are so good at forcing turnovers and so bad at rebounding since switching to their small-ball lineup, it’s hard to see either factor changing much.
— Joe Johnson and DeMar DeRozan have basically battled to a standstill, but Johnson seems to have the more sustainable path to success.
Johnson has been able to get into the lane at will thanks to his massive size advantage on the wings, going a combined 12-for-19 on shots in and around the paint. DeRozan, on the other hand, recovered from a dreadful opening game to score 30 points on Tuesday, but did so by making several low-percentage contested jumpers that will be hard to repeat.
The Nets will gladly take their chances with DeRozan taking long, contested, two-point jump shots, the most inefficient shots in basketball. If the series hinges on whether or not those shots fall, the Nets should feel good about their chances.