Final
Brooklyn wins series 4-3
Game 1: Saturday, April 19th | ||
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Nets | 94 | Final |
Raptors | 87 | |
Recap »Boxscore » |
Game 2: Tuesday, April 22nd | ||
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Nets | 95 | Final |
Raptors | 100 | |
Recap »Boxscore » |
Game 3: Friday, April 25th | ||
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Raptors | 98 | Final |
Nets | 102 | |
Recap »Boxscore » |
Game 4: Sunday, April 27th | ||
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Raptors | 87 | Final |
Nets | 79 | |
Recap »Boxscore » |
Game 5: Wednesday, April 30th | ||
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Nets | 113 | Final |
Raptors | 115 | |
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Game 6: Friday, May 2nd | ||
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Raptors | 83 | Final |
Nets | 97 | |
Recap »Boxscore » |
Game 7: Sunday, May 4th | ||
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Nets | 104 | Final |
Raptors | 103 | |
Recap »Boxscore » |
Coverage: ABC/WatchESPN
1:00 PM ET, May 4, 2014
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
Top Performers
Brooklyn: J. Johnson 26 Pts, 4 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl
Toronto: A. Johnson 20 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk
TORONTO -- Slowed by foul trouble and struggling with his shot, Paul Pierce still found a way to come up big for the Brooklyn Nets.
And, right when they needed him most.
Pierce blocked Kyle Lowry's shot from the lane on the final play of the game, and the Nets held off the Toronto Raptors 104-103 in Game 7 on Sunday to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
More From Game 7
Paul Pierce offered daggers in Game 1 and the defining defensive stop in Game 7. Yes, this is why he was brought to Brooklyn, Ohm Youngmisuk writes. Blog
The dynamic Kyle Lowry gave Toronto its best shot at a series win. Now the Raptors have to hope he returns, James Herbert writes. Story
• ESPNNY: Joe worth price | Bench big
• Youngmisuk: The King awaits Nets
• Raptors: Stein | Roster Reload
• Rapid Reaction | Nets blog
"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time," Pierce said. "I saw him split the defenders, I saw him go up, I went up with him.
"I got my hand on the ball -- game over."
The Nets will begin the conference semifinals at Miami on Tuesday night, facing the two-time defending NBA champion Heat.
Pierce had more fouls (three) than points (none) in the second half, but his only block of the game punctuated a hard-fought series win for the Nets.
Leading by one, Brooklyn used its final timeout after failing to inbound the ball. On the second opportunity, Shaun Livingston tried a lob pass to Pierce, but Terrence Ross got a hand on the ball and then knocked it off Pierce and out of bounds for a turnover.
"I rushed it a little bit," Livingston said. "I'm thinking Paul is going to hold him off. He kind of slipped there. Once he slipped, it was a jump ball and Terrence Ross is probably the last guy you want to throw a jump ball to."
Toronto used a timeout and gave the ball to Lowry, whose driving shot was blocked by Pierce as time expired. Lowry lay prone in the key as the Nets surged onto the court in celebration.
"I really didn't have a great offensive game," Pierce said. "I was in foul trouble for most of the night. Sometimes you've got to find ways to help your ballclub win."
Nets coach Jason Kidd said Brooklyn's defense "bent a little" but didn't break, thanks mostly to Pierce's clutch play.
"Paul said it best, that's why he's here, to make plays," Kidd said. "He didn't have a great game, but it only takes one play to help a team win and that's what he did tonight."
Success Against the D
Brooklyn's Joe Johnson scored 10 of his 26 points against DeMar DeRozan as his primary defender, nine of which came in the second half. In this series, Johnson had success against DeRozan as his primary defender.
Joe Johnson by Primary Defender
2014 Playoffs
2014 Playoffs
vs. DeRozan | vs. All Others | |
---|---|---|
Pct plays | 36% | 64% |
Pts per play | 1.31 | 1.01 |
FG pct | 61.0% | 46.4% |
Avg FGA distance | 9.9 | 14.2 |
Source: ESPN Stats & Info |
Brooklyn went 4-0 against Miami in the regular season, but that didn't mean much to Brooklyn's Kevin Garnett.
"That goes out the window," he said. "This is the postseason. They're playing very well. They went right through Charlotte without a beat and they have a lot of confidence."
Joe Johnson scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Nets. Marcus Thornton scored 17, Garnett had 12 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the series, and Deron Williams added 13 points.
"Joe has kept us alive this whole series," Garnett said.
Amir Johnson fouled out with 20 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto, which trailed by 10 with just over six minutes remaining before storming back and having a chance to win it at the buzzer.
"They pushed us to the brink," Livingston said.
Lowry finished with 28 points and DeMar DeRozan 18 for the Raptors, who fell to 0-2 in franchise history when playing in a Game 7. Toronto lost Game 7 of the conference semifinals to Philadelphia in 2001.
"We were right there," said a rueful Raptors coach Dwane Casey.
The Raptors, who won the Atlantic Division and set a franchise record with 48 wins, have not won a playoff series since 2001, losing in all three appearances.
Brooklyn led 81-73 to begin the fourth quarter, but Toronto cut the deficit to five at 90-85 on a layup by Lowry with 7:21 left.
Joe Johnson hit a driving hook shot on the next possession, then followed with a 3, putting the Nets up 95-85 with 6:18 remaining.
Patrick Patterson, who missed two key free throws late in Toronto's Game 3 loss, hit a pair from the line with 56 seconds left, bringing the Raptors to within four at 101-97. Patterson finished with 16 points.
After a missed shot by Pierce, Lowry was fouled and made both free throws, making it 101-99 with 25 seconds remaining.
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Trying to force a steal, Lowry fouled Williams on the inbound pass. Williams missed the first but made the second, putting the Nets up three at 102-99. After Toronto called a timeout, Lowry drove for a layup to cut it to one at 102-101 with 16 seconds to go.
Toronto put Livingston at the foul line and he made both shots, restoring the Nets' three-point lead, but Ross drove for a layup to cut it to one again with 8 seconds left -- setting up the frantic finish.
"We battled," Amir Johnson said. "We just ran out of time."
He picked up his fourth and fifth fouls early in the third quarter and Brooklyn led 67-55, its biggest lead of the game, after a pair of free throws by Williams at 9:04.
But Toronto went on an 8-2 run as the Nets missed eight straight shots before Andray Blatche ended the drought with a dunk. Alan Anderson made a jumper and Blatche added a layup, restoring Brooklyn's 12-point edge. DeRozan hit a buzzer-beating 3 to cut it to 81-73 heading to the fourth.
NOTES: The Nets outrebounded the Raptors 42-38. ... Garnett's double-double was his 86th in the playoffs, second only to San Antonio's Tim Duncan. ... Former Raptor Charles Oakley attended the game, as did Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf and his wife, actress Elisha Cuthbert. ... After he got stuck in traffic on his way to the game, Casey turned around and drove home, then took the subway to the arena. Several major downtown streets were closed Sunday because of the Toronto Marathon. ... The Raptors dropped to 3-8 in games that begin before 6 p.m. ... The team that led at halftime won all seven games.
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TORONTO, ON - MAY 4: A general view of the Air Canada Centre prior to game between the Brooklyn Nets and the...
(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)Around The Association
MVP: The Raptors had no answer for Joe Johnson. If they double-teamed him, the Nets were a ball swing away from an open 3-pointer and a look at an offensive rebound. Against single coverage, well, I'll point you toward the fourth-quarter 13-point barrage that laid the Raptors to rest.
LVP: After a breakout series, Jonas Valanciunas came up empty in Game 7. The Nets constantly beat him on the boards, and he couldn't get anything going offensively. The Raptors were noticeably more effective with him on the bench.
That was ... random. It was a one-point victory in a seven-game series that's been as close as you could imagine. There isn't one unifying factor that swung the pendulum Brooklyn's way. All we know is that the Nets won; another five seconds, and that might not have been the case.
Research Notes
Teams are 8-0 this postseason when having an edge in effective field goal percentage and turnover percentage. [+]Series Four Factors Analysis
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From Elias: Jason Kidd is the 19th first-year head coach to appear in a Game 7 on the road, and the first to win.
The previous 18 first-year NBA head coaches lost by an average margin of 11.2 points in those games. | |||||||||||||||||||||
From Elias: The Nets beat the Heat by 1 point 3 times this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last team to beat the same opponent by 1 point three times in the same season was the 1979-80 Suns over the Trail Blazers. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Joe Johnson scored 10 of his 26 points against DeMar DeRozan as his primary defender, nine of which came in the second half. In this series, Johnson had success against DeRozan as his primary defender. [+]Joe Johnson by Primary Defender, 2014 Playoffs
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Although the Raptors outscored the Nets 56-40 inside the paint, they shot 25.9% outside the paint Sunday, their third-lowest percentage this season. [+]Raptors Falter Outside Paint, Game 7
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Amir Johnson surpassed his playoff career-high with 18 first-half points, 16 of which came in the paint. After scoring 32 points in the paint in Game 6, the Raptors scored 28 points in the first half of Game 7. [+]Points in the Paint, Game 7
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If the Spurs and Raptors win their Game 7's today...it will be the first time since 2008 that all 6 division winners will advance to the 2nd round...
In 2008, only one of the division winners series went to a Game 7...this year, 5 of the division winners series went to a Game 7... | |||||||||||||||||||||
How big is the Nets/Raptors Game 7 today for the Miami Heat in the second round?
Miami was 0-4 vs the Nets this season AND
they were 4-0 vs the Raptors this season | |||||||||||||||||||||
ESPN Stats & Information |
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