2014 NBA Playoffs: Toronto Raptors (3) vs Brooklyn Nets (6)

[MaliBrah]

James Young courtside with Rihanna.

I see you plehboi

just noticed , drake probably threw him that lob ahaa

[rarefind]

Raps beat themselves, refs definitely helped thwart every surge they made down the stretch though. Not going to say the refs did this intentionally, but their play calling and consistency was piss poor. That tech was the punctuation mark on the worst call made of the series with Livingston giving Lowry all he had with his off arm.

Anyway, enough said there. Game 4 should be a good one.

[ATLTimekeeper]

I thought they did a good job of making up for missed calls. It was even, with the exception of that poor judgement on the tech at the end. Unless Vasquez uttered a murder threat I don't want to see a playoff game decided with a tech - especially when the contact on Williams was fairly benign.

The silver lining is that Jason Kidd allowed Shaun Livingston to handle the ball in the final 3 minutes and played the best ballhandler in the league as an off-guard, which helped with a near epic comeback. A better effort on Sunday and we can knot this back up. Great game by JJ, DWill and Pierce. That's why they make they're big money players.

[peralta]

for a young team with no playoff experience..usually will be down on themselves after the Nets had a large lead going into the 4th...I salute the fight they showed to claw their way back into the game...like i said they wanted the Raptors...they got em...we won't be an easy out....they'll be exhausted and battered by the time they get to Miami....But then again thats not going to happen because Raptors in 7! lol

[koolcrud]

Raps in 6!

[Marlowe]

Very entertaining series so far! I like how my team fought back.

You gotta give respect to the Nets for their toughness and physical play.

Whatever the outcome of this series the Raptors will have learned and grown a lot.

I thought the refs were even again although a bit whistle happy.

Can't wait for game 4!

[Xepa777]

[CrymeTime]

I hate when fouls are "made up" at later points in the game. JV gets called for a foul when KG is the one that pushes him into Pierce.

It may be made up later, but you take huge threat out of the game, for a long stretch.

I think this what is going to happen for the rest of the series:

a Net will get a rebound, with JV behind him, KG pushes JV in to the guy with the ball, with the ref being in front of ball handler.

Since the ref only he's JV bowling into the ball handler, the foul will be called on him.

[LOUiS-D]

Great come back by the raps. If they stole the win there I think they pretty much would have had the series by the neck. Refs let them play the first 3 quarters. That was a physical game. I know there that was that dodgy KG push/Pierce clamp foul earlier, but I didn't think the whistle was too bad to Toronto till down the stretch... Although it's possible that JV only committed 2 fouls all game. Good fodder for the conspiracy theorists.

[LOUiS-D]

Am I the only one who's really enjoying hating Lowry? The things I could say about that man. He's an artist.

[SonicMcMahon]

Ahh! Such a frustrating loss!

Refs were awful and really killed the flow of the game. Just don't blow the whistle guys, let 'em play!! Bad for both sides really, a few more calls that hurt the raps I'd say, but seriously, let them play!

That said, was really impressed with a) Joe Johnson and Deron Williams, b) The raptors resiliance

Really fun series. Go get game 4 Raps!

[SunsRback4Good]

Has it ever happened before where both teams went to the line 37 times and both hit 29 of their ft attemps?

[ATLTimekeeper]

Seemed like a good representation of both teams last night. The Nets shoot well at home. They drilled their looks, worked mismatches, earned their lead. The Raptors are the best 4th quarter team in the league for a reason. They have young legs, get to the line and play with a lot of heart. I think they just have to come out more aggressive defensively and maybe risk some fouls early in game 4 to wear down those old Net starters even more.

[Green Backpack]

I'm just happy there's not 3 days between games again

[Prokorov]

Raps beat themselves, refs definitely helped thwart every surge they made down the stretch though. Not going to say the refs did this intentionally, but their play calling and consistency was piss poor. That tech was the punctuation mark on the worst call made of the series with Livingston giving Lowry all he had with his off arm.

Anyway, enough said there. Game 4 should be a good one.

Seriously, The raps fans, media, coaching and pl;ayers need to pipe down about the refs.... and please are you really gonna sit there and tell us the refs helded thwart every surge you made??? really?

that last few minutes you got touch call and 1's on lowry and derozan(they were fouls, but easily something no one would complaing about being play ons). Then you got 2 free throws on a loose ball foul on kevin garnett on a derozan missed FT. something that also is usually let go. Then you got another foul call off a missed FT, 94 feet from your hooop, where blatche certainly didnt foul anyone, might of got fouled himself, and even then you guys had the rebound and 99 times out fo 100 thats a play on.

im not saying those werent fouls, but they are calls that often arent called, and you got them.

You got 32 fouls called against us and 37 free throws ON THE ROAD with plenty of 50/50 calls and calls usually let go as play ons.

It is pretty embarassing. in the post game all casey did was cry about the refs, then derozan followed suit. really sad, you can tell its a predetrmined excuse no just for the fans but the coaches and players.

Either way, not many teams are going into another teams building in the playoffs and getting the calls the raps got last night.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Raps beat themselves, refs definitely helped thwart every surge they made down the stretch though. Not going to say the refs did this intentionally, but their play calling and consistency was piss poor. That tech was the punctuation mark on the worst call made of the series with Livingston giving Lowry all he had with his off arm.

Anyway, enough said there. Game 4 should be a good one.

Seriously, The raps fans, media, coaching and pl;ayers need to pipe down about the refs.... and please are you really gonna sit there and tell us the refs helded thwart every surge you made??? really?

that last few minutes you got touch call and 1's on lowry and derozan(they were fouls, but easily something no one would complaing about being play ons). Then you got 2 free throws on a loose ball foul on kevin garnett on a derozan missed FT. something that also is usually let go. Then you got another foul call off a missed FT, 94 feet from your hooop, where blatche certainly didnt foul anyone, might of got fouled himself, and even then you guys had the rebound and 99 times out fo 100 thats a play on.

im not saying those werent fouls, but they are calls that often arent called, and you got them.

You got 32 fouls called against us and 37 free throws ON THE ROAD with plenty of 50/50 calls and calls usually let go as play ons.

It is pretty embarassing. in the post game all casey did was cry about the refs, then derozan followed suit. really sad, you can tell its a predetrmined excuse no just for the fans but the coaches and players.

Either way, not many teams are going into another teams building in the playoffs and getting the calls the raps got last night.

Setting the stage for next game. The Nets can't rebound without cheating. They can't play man D without reaching in. Tell me the last time you saw a technical foul for complaining called in the last minute of a close playoff game?

[Prokorov]

My thoughts on the game...


1) With another 19 turnovers, it might be time to start giving credit to the nets defense for some of those, and not just write it off as 'jtters'. 3 times in a row seems like a trend

2) Back at home the nets role players played better as i had expected. Blatche was excellent, and really kept us in the game and we got good minutes from tele on both ends. Raps role guys not as effect, ross was a no show, grevis was ok but not nearly as good as he was in toronto. I'm still looking for that 20 point 6 three game form thornton, i know its in there somewhere

3) Joe Johnson is a beast this series. guy has been criticized to no end for sucking in the playoffs, hope he gets some props for what he is doing now

4) Kidd, WTF are you letting livingston and dwill hold the ball the last 2 minutes when you have joe johnson, the clutchest dude in the game on the floor? that whole mess could have been avoided with him on the FT line isntead of those 2

5) on the flip side, props to kidd for playing johnson the entire 4th and dwill most of it. that was huge and helped us build that much needed cushion

6) Patterson choked on those FTs, but hard to get on the raps for that after they pulled a mini miracle just to have a chance to even tie in that situation

7) Dwill outplayed lowry, i think this series and each game comes down to which of those guys outplays the other. hopefully dwill can bring it again in game 4

8) speaking of lowry, i love the dude, and he is a bulldog... but man he is going for the CP3 flopper of the year award with some of these

[Prokorov]

Setting the stage for next game. The Nets can't rebound without cheating. They can't play man D without reaching in. Tell me the last time you saw a technical foul for complaining called in the last minute of a close playoff game?

loooooooooooooooooooolz at "cheating" you want to talk about "reaching in"? How about what lowry did right before he fouled out? he was basically giving livingston a reach around for 12 seconds.

Cheating on rebounds? Sorry, i'll let blatche know not to breathe on anyone next time he goes for a rebound.



Guys who talk back to the refs in that manner get T'd up all the time late in games, especially when all they do is cry the entire game. Again, maybe if your media, fans, coaches, and players did have it predetermined that they were going to use it as an excuse, the players wouldnt react so poorly and have more composure.

I blame casey. you put that seed in your players heads about officiating and they are going to react to every single call good or bad.

But hey whatever, like i said before the game this crying is gonna go on all series so i'll just live with it... i guess shame on me for thinking the raps getting all the calsl on the road in the playoffs and the majority of the 50/50 calls might passify you guys. silly me

[rarefind]

Raps beat themselves, refs definitely helped thwart every surge they made down the stretch though. Not going to say the refs did this intentionally, but their play calling and consistency was piss poor. That tech was the punctuation mark on the worst call made of the series with Livingston giving Lowry all he had with his off arm.

Anyway, enough said there. Game 4 should be a good one.

Seriously, The raps fans, media, coaching and pl;ayers need to pipe down about the refs.... and please are you really gonna sit there and tell us the refs helded thwart every surge you made??? really?

that last few minutes you got touch call and 1's on lowry and derozan(they were fouls, but easily something no one would complaing about being play ons). Then you got 2 free throws on a loose ball foul on kevin garnett on a derozan missed FT. something that also is usually let go. Then you got another foul call off a missed FT, 94 feet from your hooop, where blatche certainly didnt foul anyone, might of got fouled himself, and even then you guys had the rebound and 99 times out fo 100 thats a play on.

im not saying those werent fouls, but they are calls that often arent called, and you got them.

You got 32 fouls called against us and 37 free throws ON THE ROAD with plenty of 50/50 calls and calls usually let go as play ons.

It is pretty embarassing. in the post game all casey did was cry about the refs, then derozan followed suit. really sad, you can tell its a predetrmined excuse no just for the fans but the coaches and players.

Either way, not many teams are going into another teams building in the playoffs and getting the calls the raps got last night.

Guy, look at the call Deron Williams got leading to a subsequent tech AND the Livingston call. I don't care that you're a Nets homer but do you really think those were good calls? Forget the course of the game, I am talking about those two sequences specifically. They had a huge impact on the final stretch of the game. Do you think referencing foul calls on the road mean a damn thing in regards to those two calls? For Vasquez to be t'd up immediately like that he must have told the ref he was going to kill his family. We don't know what was said aside from Vasquez saying he didn't say anything aside from telling the ref that he was entitled to that space, without cursing. Whether true or not, that was a pretty strange time to call a technical foul.

I could care less about the other calls, they were at the refs' discretion. That is fine, but those calls that Williams and Livingston got were brutal. If you can't see that, then there is nothing worth discussing.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Setting the stage for next game. The Nets can't rebound without cheating. They can't play man D without reaching in. Tell me the last time you saw a technical foul for complaining called in the last minute of a close playoff game?

loooooooooooooooooooolz at "cheating" you want to talk about "reaching in"? How about what lowry did right before he fouled out? he was basically giving livingston a reach around for 12 seconds.

Cheating on rebounds? Sorry, i'll let blatche know not to breathe on anyone next time he goes for a rebound.



Guys who talk back to the refs in that manner get T'd up all the time late in games, especially when all they do is cry the entire game. Again, maybe if your media, fans, coaches, and players did have it predetermined that they were going to use it as an excuse, the players wouldnt react so poorly and have more composure.

I blame casey. you put that seed in your players heads about officiating and they are going to react to every single call good or bad.

But hey whatever, like i said before the game this crying is gonna go on all series so i'll just live with it... i guess shame on me for thinking the raps getting all the calsl on the road in the playoffs and the majority of the 50/50 calls might passify you guys. silly me

Lowry did reach, Livingston also was allowed to use his off arm to push Lowry away. They permitted contact on both ends of that one. Livingston still got the foul call.

So... you see guys getting T'd up in the last minute of close playoff games all the time? Do you have any specific examples? That's what I'm looking for, not a watery answer.

Enjoy the win.