NBA Playoffs: Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets Game 3 Injury Updates, Lineups and Predictions

The Toronto Raptors take on the Brooklyn Nets tonight in Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs. After winning the first two games, the Raptors are inching towards a sweep. Despite the Nets being depleted, they offered a fight in the previous game and refused to go down easily.

After already playing with a weakened team, the Nets are now going to be without Joe Harris for Game 3. The sharpshooter had to leave the bubble “due to a non-medical personal matter.” Harris was performing well in the bubble, averaging 20 points per game, while shooting a stunning 54% from the three-point line. The other absentee for the Nets tonight will be Jamal Crawford (hamstring).

With Harris missing, the Nets will probably bring in Tyler Johnson to replace him. So the Nets lineup will be Garrett Temple and Tyler Johnson as the guards, Caris LeVert and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot as the forwards and Jarrett Allen as the center.

Can the Toronto Raptors keep their win-streak going?

The Raptors have been able to stay healthy and don’t have any significant absentees. They will have an unchanged lineup consisting of Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet as the guards, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam as the forwards and Marc Gasol as the center.

The first game was a mismatch. The Raptors blew out the Nets by a whopping 24 points. But in the second game, the Nets came back stronger and were just six points away from leveling the series.

With the Nets losing yet another valuable player, they will have their work cut out tonight. It should be an easy win for the Raptors, and it could be a big one.

Despite Siakam and Lowry not shooting well, VanVleet has been taking matters into his own hands. He has been their best scorer in the bubble so far. Last season, after he came back from his son was born, he lit up the playoffs. So far in the two games, “Playoff VanVleet” seems to be back in action, averaging 27 points while shooting over 50%.

The Raptors will be looking forward to a whitewash so they will be able to get maximum rest and preparation time for a second-round matchup against the Celtics or the Sixers.