#yuta-watanabe
#yuta-watanabe

Ben Simmons benched late in Nets' loss to Sixers: 'When he's aggressive, we look very good'

PHILADELPHIA - This is what Jacque Vaughn means when he says Ben Simmons needs to play an entire game with force.Not just intermittent spurts of aggression when he so chooses.Did Simmons box-out?Did he play with physicality?Did he deliver the first hit, or did the opponent hit him first?Did he run the floor with force?

PIX11

Nets beat Hornets 123-106 for 11th win in a row

CHARLOTTE.N.C.(AP) - Kyrie Irving scored 18 of his 28 points in the first half, Kevin Durant added 23 points and the Brooklyn Nets ran their winning streak to 11, beating the Charlotte Hornets 123-106 on Saturday night.Brooklyn never trailed and led by 10 points in the first quarter, 15 in the second, 18 in the third and 22 in the fourth to improve to 24-12.

New York Daily News

Nets survive in Cleveland, extend winning streak to nine

Just days after dispatching the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, the Nets extended their winning streak to nine in survival mode via a 125-117 victory over the third-seeded Cavaliers on Monday night.The nine-game streak marked the franchise's longest-winning streak since 2004 - when current Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn was part of a team that won 14 in a row.

Brooklyn Eagle

Nets win Brooklyn-best ninth straight

The Nets made a bit of Brooklyn history Monday night in Cleveland.Kyrie Irving scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter and Kevin Durant also had 32 before fouling out, lifting the Nets to their Brooklyn-best ninth consecutive win, a 125-117 victory over the Cavaliers in front of a sellout crowd of 19,342 fans at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

New York Daily News

Nets blow 23-point lead, hold on to beat Hornets without Ball, Hayward

The real way to save Kevin Durant's legs for the end of the season is to end his night early against lesser opponents.As evidenced by the Nets' meltdown in their 122-116 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, that's much easier said than done.The Nets were on pace to give Durant a half-day.They led by 23 in the second quarter, largely due to Seth Curry's hot shooting against his hometown team and Kyrie Irving's aggressive scoring against Terry Rozier, his understudy on the Boston Celtics who now plays a key role in Charlotte.

morefourth-quarter

amNewYork

Spencer Dinwiddie has 25 in Brooklyn return, Nets beat Bulls 116-105 | amNewYork

BROOKLYN (AP) - Spencer Dinwiddie scored 25 points in his first game since returning to Brooklyn and the Nets beat the Chicago Bulls 116-105 on Thursday night, hours after trading superstar Kevin Durant to Phoenix.Joe Harris had 18 points, and Yuta Watanabe chipped in 14 points in 22 minutes off the bench.

New York Daily News

Nets extend streak to 11 with win over Hornets

Jacque Vaughn's New Year's Resolution has already come true.The streak continues to live on in Brooklyn.Hours after Vaughn said his only goal entering the New Year was to win the night's game, the Nets (24-12) extended their league-best winning streak to 11 games with a 123-106 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.

amNewYork

Nets Notebook: Yuta Watanabe playing 'happiest' basketball of his career | amNewYork

Even Yuta Watanabe admitted that he was surprised about the impact he has had on the Nets' play this season when he was out on the court.Having now missed eight straight games with a right hamstring strain, it has become even more apparent how important his shooting has become for the Nets.Brooklyn will be happy when they can get him back out on the floor, which is expected to be sometime this weekend, but Watanabe's play had been the talk of the league.

New York Daily News

Nets fall short against defending East champion Celtics

The margin for error against good teams is slim.There is no margin for error against great teams.Kevin Durant quickly noted that while the Nets have turned a corner in the win column, winning four games in a row and seven of their last nine after starting the season 2-6, they had done so largely against middle of the pack competition.

Brooklyn Eagle

Kyrie sits again, Nets buried by Kings

Suspended guard Kyrie Irving is still working his way back into the Brooklyn Nets' good graces.As for the rest of the team, they appeared to take the night off as well in Sacramento.Waiting for Irving's return following his now-infamous suspension for the "harmful impact of his conduct" in posting a link to an antisemitic documentary seemed to be going fine as Brooklyn won four of its first six games in his absence.

amNewYork

Nets bend but don't break in 116-109 win over Pacers | amNewYork

The Nets talked about adversity plenty on Monday morning and later that night they proved they could weather a storm when they had to after the Pacers had tied the game in the fourth quarter.Instead the Nets went on a 9-2 run to retake their lead and eventually win 116-109.The much-needed win helped snap a four-game skid for the Nets that had put the team back on its heels early in the season.

New York Daily News

Nets avoid trap game, beat Trae Young-less Hawks for 10th straight win

If you're looking for the definition of a "trap game," Wednesday night's matchup between the Nets and Atlanta Hawks is about as close as you'll get.The Nets entered Wednesday night the hottest team in basketball with the league's longest-standing winning streak.They looked to extend that streak against a Hawks team playing the second leg of a back-to-back.

Raptors Rapture

3 offseason regrets Raptors may have after wild start to 2022

The Toronto Raptors are one of many Eastern Conference teams that are currently hovering near the .500mark, though many fans have to be just a bit irritated with their overall performance.They are 10-9 thanks to a win against the Mavericks, but the basketball gods have blunted their momentum with so many injury curveballs.

Raptors Rapture

4 key Toronto Raptors who must dominate with big names injured

The Toronto Raptors got back on track with a victory against the Detroit Pistons despite missing some of the big names on the roster.Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr. were all inactive, and names like Dalano Banton came to the rescue against old nemesis and former head coach Dwane Casey.

Raptors Rapture

Raptors' Yuta Watanabe confirms he wants to return to Toronto

The Toronto Raptors have some big names that could decide to pack up and leave in free agency this summer, with Chris Boucher and Thad Young topping the list.

Raptors HQ

Dial 905: Raptors 905 vs Capital City Go-Go playoff do-or-die game preview

It's Raptors 905 game day today, and it's a special one.

Raptors Rapture

Waiving Justin Champagnie was painful, but necessary for Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are a roster full of players who were not highly touted in college, often developing into stars after arriving in town as a late draft pick or an undrafted free agent.Forward Justin Champagnie, who seemed like a perfect scheme fit, was one of those players.Champagnie was a double-double machine in college, but he went undrafted due to concerns about the 6-6, 200-pound forward being able to replicate those numbers in the pros without a reliable jump shot.

Raptors Rapture

3 former Toronto Raptors who are playing well in 2022-23

The Toronto Raptors were renowned for their ability to keep their core together in the past decade, but the winds of change have gradually swept through the organization.Only four players from the Raptors team who won a championship in 2018-19 are still hanging around on the roster.The Raptors have had to make some tough choices in the last few years, parting ways with both franchise icons like Kyle Lowry and fan favorites from the end of the bench like Yuta Watanabe.

Raptors Republic

Raptors 905 Struggle in Second Half of a Back-to-Back

The Raptors 905 lose 125-107 on a back-to-back against the Capital City Go-Go yesterday.The 905 had a competitive first half, but struggled in the second.The game was over when Reggie Perry swung for Jordan Schakel's head with 4:51 left in the fourth.Perry got a flagrant type 2 for the unnecessary contact, and the 905 were down by 20 points, 114-94.

Raptors Rapture

3 Toronto Raptors who will be preseason stars in Jazz opener

The Toronto Raptors are finally ready to get the preseason underway, as they look prepared to show the league that their 48 wins last year was no fluke.

Raptors Rapture

3 awesome Raptors Media Day quotes you may have missed

For a team that has built an ethos around hard work when no one else is watching and not giving opposing teams anything to hold onto with flamboyant quotes, Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors uncorked quite a few noisemaking quotes during their annual Media Day exercises.

Raptors Republic

What EuroBasket Taught Us About Juancho Hernangomez

Real life is, sometimes, better than fiction.Yesterday, Juancho Hernangomez channeled his inner Bo Cruz after being subbed on at the end of the first quarter.

New York Daily News

Why Jacque Vaughn and Sean Marks both owe Royce O'Neale a steak dinner

Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn joked that he needs to take veteran forward Royce O'Neale out to dinner for playing him so many minutes through the first leg and a half of the regular season.Make that two steak dinners headed his way - and both of them had better be steak.O'Neale's minutes load alone is a testament to how important the former Utah Jazz wing is on both ends of the floor for a Nets team whose 19-7 run under Vaughn's leadership has legitimized their status as NBA championship contenders.

amNewYork

Nets role players stepping up without Kyrie Irving in lineup | amNewYork

Amid the turmoil with Kyrie Irving off the court, the Nets have found a way to salvage the ugly start that they had thanks to the outstanding play of Kevin Durant and a group around the superstar that has stepped up in a big way.The Nets went into Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers with the chance to reach .500

amNewYork

Nets prove amid chaos they can still gut out wins | amNewYork

Two games on the road didn't fix what ailed the Nets, but it gave its beleaguered fanbase a little hope that all wasn't lost after weeks of losing and drama.Kevin Durant, the team's lone superstar, led the Nets to back-to-back wins over the weekend alongside a gritty group that did what it needed to.

Raptors HQ

Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets Matchup: How hungry are the Raptors?

There is but one looming question heading into tonight's matchup against the Brooklyn Nets: which Toronto Raptors team is going to show up?Will it be the squad that limited Donovan Mitchell to 8 points on 3-12 shooting in a 100-88 win against a Conference rival?Or, will it be the team that got 30-pieced by the C.J. McCollum and Brandon Ingram-less New Orleans Pelicans?

Raptors Republic

905 more consistent but drop both games to the Nets

A loss is a loss, but let's start with a positive: the 905 were more consistent through last night's game.At the start of the fourth quarter, the game was tied 83 apiece.Fans brought donations for the Winter Drive, and after a relatively quiet nine points with seven boards and 10 assists through three quarters, Nets guard Chris Chiozza dropped 12 in the fourth, charitably teaching Sauga how an undersized guard drives to the basket.

CBSSports.com

New York Knicks

Knicks vs. Nets prediction, odds, line, spread: 2022 NBA picks, Nov. 9 best bets from proven model

The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets meet for a cross-town rivalry on Wednesday evening.Barclay Center hosts the game in Brooklyn, with the Nets entering at 4-7 overall and 2-4 at home.Brooklyn is 3-2 in the last five games, and the Nets will face a Knicks team that is 5-5 overall and 2-3 on the road.

Raptors Rapture

Raptors fans will love Yuta Watanabe starring amid Nets chaos

The Toronto Raptors have pulled off a 6-5 start to the season, are generally playing solid basketball on both ends of the court, and look like a team on the rise.Even after losing fan favorites from last year, Yuta Watanabe among them, Toronto is finding a way to be effective.The picture is pretty much the opposite when it comes to the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn Eagle

Durant, Nets come up short in Big D

Kevin Durant's first missed free throw in 63 attempts cost the Brooklyn Nets a chance at overtime in Dallas Monday night.Durant scored 26 points but his shocking failure at the charity stripe with 5.6 ticks on the clock ultimately ended Brooklyn's bid for a season-high third straight win as the Mavericks held on for a 96-94 victory in front of 20,011 fans at American Airlines Center.

Raptors Rapture

Try not to tear up as Yuta Watanabe says goodbye to Raptors

The nature of the NBA means that teams like the Toronto Raptors often have to say goodbye to fan favorites to get cheaper alternatives.

Raptors Republic

Dalano Banton broke our most broken expectations against the Pistons

The first game Dalano Banton started in the NBA was an unmitigated disaster.The 2021-22 Toronto Raptors, when at their most broken due to injury and illness, walked steadily to the executioner's block and met their fate: A 45-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.Banton scored seven points in 23 minutes and recorded three turnovers and six assists.

Raptors Rapture

Scottie Barnes injury update: Will Raptors star return in playoffs?

The Toronto Raptors might have been getting blown out by the Philadelphia 76ers, but they could at least take solace in the fact that they could regroup and come back swinging in Game 2.

Raptors Republic

Les Raptors en bonne position pour defier Philly - Raptors Republic

The following is a piece published in English under the title "Raptors well-positioned to take on Philly."The original author is Arsenalist, and the translator is Lucas Favero.

Raptors HQ

Raptors set the net and the speaker on fire, defeat Pacers 131-91

The Toronto Raptors steamrolled what's left of the Indiana Pacers, but it did not happen without much fanfare.

amNewYork

Nets falter in OT in 129-125 loss to Mavericks | amNewYork

The Nets mustered all they had for 48 minutes but the wheels finally came off in the five minutes of overtime as the Dallas Mavericks became just too much for them to handle in a 129-125 loss on Thursday night.Kyrie Irving did all that he could to match Mavs star Luka Doncic, who finished the night with 41 points in what has become a growing trend of opposing players having big games against the Nets.

New York Daily News

Harris, Curry progressing from injuries: report

Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris is reportedly progressing from the foot soreness that has sidelined him for most of the first preseason game.

amNewYork

Nets sign free agent Yuta Watanabe with NBA season approaching | amNewYork

He had eight starts during that time and he played for the Nets Summer League team back in 2018.

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The Nets did not release the terms of his deal, per team policy.

Raptors Rapture

Fan-favorite Yuta Watanabe leaves Raptors, signs with Nets

The Nets say team has signed free agent Yuta Watanabe.

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He should be a big help for a Nets team that needs to surround their superstar trio with a collection of defensively-minded role players.

Raptors Rapture

Will Raptors regret not bringing back Yuta Watanabe for 2022-23?

The Toronto Raptors made Yuta Watanabe a fan favorite over the last few seasons.

Raptors HQ

Game thread: Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks

Can you believe I'm about to start another story by asking "can you believe the regular season is over?"Well, believe it or not, it's true!Uh, both things.Both things are true.

Raptors HQ

Game thread: Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers

There's plenty of intrigue between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers lately.

Raptors HQ

Game thread: Toronto Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks

With a magic number of two and just four games left on the schedule, common sense says that the Toronto Raptors can do enough to lock down the sixth seed and ensure a real playoff spot instead of the chaos of the play-in tournament.

Raptors HQ

Game thread: Toronto Raptors vs. Orlando Magic

On a weekend where Toronto Raptors fans will spend a lot of time watching the Miami Heat - both when Toronto reunites with Kyle Lowry on Sunday and in a standings-watch matchup with the Chicago Bulls on Saturday - a trap game awaits tonight against the Orlando Magic.

Raptors HQ