TORONTO - Although no one cared to admit it, on either side, at the outset of the evening, Mondays divisional grudge match in Br

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TORONTO - Although no one cared to admit it, on either side, at the outset of the evening, Mondays divisional grudge match in Brooklyn meant more to the Raptors than the game that preceded it or the one to follow. http://www.gazelleogsoldes.fr/noir-blanche-orange-adidas-neo-daily-bind-vulcanized-homme-chaussures.html . The stakes were higher, the competition more fierce and the atmosphere was that of a playoff game - something the young, upstart Raptors have five weeks to better prepare themselves for or the result will be eerily similar. If they looked out of place in that environment, its probably because they were. Torontos starting five features a fifth-year star that has yet to make a playoff appearance. Theyre the only team currently in a playoff position that starts two sophomores and its been five years since either their point guard or power forward has experienced postseason basketball. Combined that lineup accounts for 24 games of postseason experience. Staring them down in the final minute of a one-possession, high stakes game was a Nets unit that has collectively participated in 268 playoff contests. Paul Pierce alone is responsible for 136 of them while Kevin Garnett and Andrei Kirilenko - both out with injuries - would have added another 176. The Nets took a five-point advantage into the fourth quarter and, for all their hardships this season, they had only lost one of 30 games in which they held the lead after 36 minutes. Thats the difference experience makes. The Raptors, despite a valiant effort, showed up to a knife fight armed with plastic forks. "This team here in Brooklyn is a championship-caliber team," Dwane Casey said following his teams 101-97 loss. "They know the plays to make to win games. Weve still got to learn that. Were on our way but we still have some learning to do." Although the Raptors remain the NBAs best fourth-quarter team, outscoring opponents by 158 points in the final frame this season, their late-game execution continues to be a work in progress. When ahead or behind by five points or less in the final three minutes, Toronto shoots 37 per cent, the ninth-lowest mark in the league. Theyre 15-18 in games that come down to that scenario. On Monday, Pierce hit what may have been the biggest shot of the night - a cold-blooded three to break a tie with just over a minute left and the shot clock ticking down - while the Raptors wilted in the moment. Down one, 30 seconds later, Toronto got the stop it needed, leading to a five-on-four break the other way. In the midst of a brilliant second half, Kyle Lowry found DeMar DeRozan in transition, believing he would continue to go hard to the bucket. Met by Pierce in the lane, DeRozan lateraled back to Lowry, who wasnt expecting the pass and turned down the shot. John Salmons, receiving the ball from Lowry, also hesitated on an open look from the elbow, which ultimately led to Terrence Ross fumbling the ball as he looked to salvage the broken play. It was a possession mired in indecision and it sealed Torontos fate. The Nets - 10-for-14 from three-point range after the first quarter - hit big shots and made winning plays. They looked like the desperate team, and rightfully so. Had they won, the Raptors would be sitting pretty in the Atlantic Division, five games up on Brooklyn with the season-series tiebreaker in hand. Instead, Brooklyn has pulled within three games of the division lead. "[The atmosphere] was definitely a notch higher because of what was at stake," DeRozan admitted after the game. "Theyre chasing us and were leading in the division. It was just a big game overall. Theyve been playing well, trying to make a playoff push and were trying to sustain our position so it definitely was a big game." While the loss stings, the Raptors are still in the drivers seat, controlling their own destiny with 20 games to go. "It was a disappointing loss in the fact that theyre a team thats battling us for the division," Casey said. "Theres still a lot of basketball left to play. Weve got to stay positive. Its not the end of the world. We werent going to go undefeated the rest of the way. We knew that." Should Toronto and Brooklyn share the same record atop the Atlantic when its all said and done, with the season series now even, the tiebreaker would go to the team with the most wins within the division. The Raptors are currently 8-3 with five games left to be played against Atlantic opponents while the Nets are 7-5 with four remaining. Each of those games could be crucial - including two meetings with New York in the final week of the season - for the Raptors who are hoping to win their second division title in franchise history. Sink or swim, that will be determined by what theyre able to take out of Mondays squandered opportunity. "Its a learning experience," DeRozan said. "It was a heck of a game that we can learn from and possibly could be a team we could see in the playoffs." Adidas Stan Smith Noir . - The Denver Broncos kept rookie wide receiver Tavarres King from joining the Green Bay Packers by promoting him to their active roster Tuesday. Adidas Zx 500 Og Homme . Kripps, of Summerland, B.C., and Edmontons Barnett used a terrific second run to move up two spots, putting the Canadian duo in medal contention with the final two runs set for Monday (11:15 a.m. ET, streaming live at cbc. http://www.gazelleogsoldes.fr/rouge-blanche-femme-adidas-neo-daily-bind-vulcanized-chaussures.html .com) - The Vancouver Canucks will try to win two straight games for the first time since mid-January on Monday night as they play host to the struggling New York Islanders.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - You want to know how important the Seattle Mariners signing of Nelson Cruz was? They dont have to do another thing this offseason and they will be my pick to win the American League West. Now with that said, I dont think they are done just yet. Seattle went into this offseason intent on upgrading its lineup - as it did last winter when it signed Robinson Cano. Yes they probably overpaid Cano, but they had to land one superstar to get another. Felix Hernandez or not, Seattle just wasnt a popular landing spot for free agents. It seemed to be the same story every offseason for the Mariners. They were in on every big bat available, yet theyd land nobody. Or anyone who would make a difference. Thats why the Cano signing last winter was so important. The ground work was being laid for something much bigger. And they knew more had to be done. Cano may have watched his power numbers decline in spacious Safeco Field, but he remained one of the best left-handed hitters in the game, despite having little or no protection in a lineup that ranked second to last in the AL last season with a .244 average. Seattle, and Cano for that matter, desperately needed some help from the right-side of the plate, as the Mariners .604 OPS by right-handed hitters in 2014 was the lowest for any team since the 1988 Pittsburgh Pirates. The right-handed hitting Cruz, meanwhile, had a .977 OPS against left-handed pitchers. As good as Cano was a year ago, hell be even bettter with Cruz, the only player in the league last season to hit 40 home runs. http://www.gazelleogsoldes.fr/chaussures-homme-adidas-ultra-boost-noir-or.html. . Even at 34 years of age, Cruz will drastically upgrade a designated hitter spot for the Mariners that last season produced an awful .190/.266/.301 line with 15 home runs and 50 RBI. Of course Safeco Field will likely sap some of Cruz power, but the majority of his power numbers last season came on the road rather than the hitter friendly confines of Camden Yards. Cruz hit .289 with 25 homers and 68 RBI away from home last year opposed to the 15 HRs and 40 RBI in Baltimore. Regardless, hes a nice piece to slot in between Cano and third baseman Kyle Seager, who recently inked a $100 million extension. And the Mariners arent done. They are still in on outfielders Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes. Of the three the Mariners would probably prefer Kemp since he is signed through 2019, whereas Cespedes and Upton can become a free agents after this season. Its no secret that the Los Angels Dodgers - like many other teams - covet Mariners right-handed pitching prospect Taijuan Walker, but Seattle doesnt seem inclined to include him in a deal for Kemp or anyone else for that matter. This much is certain. With King Felix, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton and yes, even Walker, along with what was the best bullpen in the AL a year ago, the Mariners have enough pitching to win. Their lineup has to catch up. Signing Cruz was a nice next step. Now we wait for whats coming next. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '