Neues » with only six scored in the past

TORONTO - Its been 13 years since the Raptors played in their last and only Game 7, by all accounts the biggest game in franchise history to this point. Philadelphia-native Kyle Lowry remembers it well. "Hell of a game," recalled Lowry, who was a 15-year-old high schooler when he watched the epic battle between Vince Carter and Allen Iverson, culminating in Carters missed jumper and Torontos Game 7 loss in 2001. "I was a fan back then, of the other team. But it was a great game, a great game." A year earlier, DeMar DeRozan - 10 at the time, growing up in Southern Los Angeles - watched his favourite team, the Lakers, overcome a 15-point deficit to knock off the Trailblazers in the deciding game of the 2000 Conference Finals. To this day, it is still his most memorable Game 7 moment. "I remember watching it," said the Raptors all-star guard. "Even then I remember saying, I wish I was playing in a moment like that, because it just seemed fun, especially when youre doing something you love to do. Thats the highest level of basketball you could play in, man." On Sunday afternoon theyll have the opportunity to write their own story when Toronto hosts the Brooklyn Nets in the finale of their opening-round series. You can catch all of the action live on TSN, TSN GO and TSN Radio 1050 with pre-game coverage kicking off at 12:30pm et/9:30am pt with Rod Black and Leo Rautins on TSN and with Jim Tatti, Duane Watson, Gareth Wheeler and Josh Lewenberg on a special two-hour edition of Countdown to Tip-off at 11:00 AM on TSN 1050. Tatti, Watson, Wheeler and Lewenberg will return with an extended post-game show following the game. TSN.cas coverage includes in-game highlights and live streaming of the fan festivities at Maple Leaf Square during the game as well as the post-game news conferences. "Honestly, this is what you live for, man," said DeRozan, the Raptors leading scorer, averaging 24.8 points in his first career playoff series. "To play and be in moments like this, because they last forever. Memories like that are going to last way after Im finished playing so youve definitely got to take advantage of it and understand youve got to go out there and play youre A-game." The Raptors, up 3-2 going into Game 6, failed to close out the series in Brooklyn Friday after the Nets got off to a commanding start, earning a wire-to-wire 97-83 win in the face of elimination. The two teams have gone blow for blow all season long, splitting their 10 meetings. In 40 quarters, 480 minutes, the Raptors have scored just one point more than the opposing Nets. Now, itll come down to one final game, four quarters, 48 minutes between two evenly matched foes with very different backstories. Toronto players have made just seven appearances in Game 7s, losing all seven, all of them on the road. Meanwhile, the Nets have 27 games of experience in this situation. Paul Pierce alone has played in more Game 7s than the Raptors roster. Lowry, the only Raptors starter to play in a Game 7, and his Houston Rockets were dismantled in the Western Conference Semifinals, losing to the Lakers by 19 points in 2009. "We got the s--- beat out of us," he said of his lone Game 7 experience. Greivis Vasquez, a rookie with the Grizzlies in 2011, lost by 15 in Oklahoma City during the final game of the semis. Chuck Hayes and John Salmons both have a couple Game 7 defeats on their resume, Tyler Hansbrough has one. To say they have something to prove is probably an understatement. "This game will go down in memory or in history," said the veteran Hayes. "It could be one of your great performances, a so-so performance but people will always remember a Game 7. So how do you want to be remembered?" The Nets, on the other hand, were built for this moment. They are the most expensive NBA team ever assembled, a roster loaded with perennial all-stars and future hall of famers. As such, the pressure is on them to deliver. "We aint got no 100 million, whatever payroll they got," said DeRozan. "Hey, thats all on them. We understand what we have to do and were going to go out there wanting it. At the end of the day they have more to lose than us." The spotlight is fixated on them and they know it. After guaranteeing a victory ahead of Game 6, Nets forward Andray Blatche had no problem doubling down. "We guarantee it," Blatche said after Fridays win. "Were gonna go there, take care of business and go to Miami." Although the Raptors have carried themselves with a quiet confidence throughout the series, refusing to get caught up in an extra curricular war of words, they did not take kindly to Blatches pre-game acceptance speech. "I dont know who does he think he is," said Vasquez, asked about Blatches comments after Saturday afternoon practice at the Air Canada Centre. "Hes not [Kevin Garnett] or Paul Pierce or Jason Kidd. Were not going to listen to his nonsense. He gotta earn that, and he hasnt yet." "I dont care what he said," DeRozan added. "He can say what he wants, honestly. He can go out there and say hes going to hit the lottery tomorrow, I could give a hell." That animosity - natural in any long playoff series - has been building for over two weeks and will come to a head Sunday. All season long, the Raptors and their mix of youth and discarded veterans have been an unlikely success story. On Sunday theyll all have a couple things in common. From one end of the bench to the other, theyll all be playing the most important game of the careers, looking to accomplish something none of them have before, striving to move on and continue to defy the odds. "These are lifetime moments," Lowry said. "Game 7 is Game 7, no matter what round its in, its Game 7. Its 3-3, win or go home. Either youre going to the Bahamas or youre going to the second round." Wholesale Nike Shoes Black Friday .C. United have acquired midfielder Alex Caskey from the Seattle Sounders for a third-round pick in the 2016 MLS draft. Nike Shoes Black Friday Discount . -- LeBron James warned the Orlando Magic to stop double-teaming him and ignoring James Jones. http://www.nikeshoesblackfriday.com/. - Benched Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman said he has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and voluntarily entered the NFL substance abuse program more than a year ago after mistakenly taking a medication to treat the condition. Nike Shoes Black Friday China . Playing in his fourth major league game, Polanco broke a tie in the 13th inning with his first homer, helping Pittsburgh to an 8-6 victory over the Miami Marlins after the Pirates had a ninth-inning meltdown. Cheap Nike Shoes Black Friday .com) - Matt Duchene picked up the deciding goal early in the third period and added an assist, as Colorado escaped with a 4-3 victory over Dallas at Pepsi Center.PARIS - Two-time defending champion Paris Saint-Germain will look to Zlatan Ibrahimovic to make an impact again in Wednesdays trip to play Lille. The imposing Sweden striker has scored in his past two games as he regains his form following a heel injury which kept him out of action for nearly two months.League leader Marseille, which is one point ahead of PSG, needs top scorer Andre-Pierre Gignac to find his touch again in Tuesdays match at Lorient. Gignac has scored 11 league goals this season, but only one in his past seven games for club and country.Here are some things to know about this weeks French league games:___GROWING FRUSTRATIONAlthough Paris Saint-Germain is unbeaten in 21 matches this season, frustration is increasing that Laurent Blancs star-studded team fails to produce the spectacular football craved for by fans.Saturdays listless 1-0 win at home to mid-table Nice was another dour performance with a meagre two shots on target from a PSG side featuring Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani in attack. Fans expect more in the next few games.First up is a trip to Lille on Wednesday, followed by a home game against Nantes, before PSG travels to Barcelona for a table-topping Champions League group game four days later.We need this Barcelona game to gauge our true level, PSG midfielder Javier Pastore told beIN sport television on Sunday. To see if were really at the top level or not...___AYEW THREATMarseille will pay close attention to former striker Jordan Ayew when it travels to take on Lorient on Tuesday.Ayew has scored three goals and set up four in 12 games since joining from Marseille.The 23-year-old Ghana forward has been directly involved in five of Lorients last six goals, scoring one and creating two in Saturdays 3-2 win at Toulouse.Despite an encouraging start to his Lorient career, he was jeered by Lorients fans during a 1-0 home win against Lens a previous earlier.Look at my stats and then well talk, Ayew was quoted saying Monday in sports daily LEquipe. People can say whatever they like, but Ive been involved in all of Lorients goals for a whilee now.dddddddddddd So there...Ayew scored 14 league goals in 111 league games for Marseille where he often played as a winger.___WASS EFFECTDenmark midfielder Daniel Wass is again leading Evians bid to avoid relegation.The 25-year-old Wass scored with a free kick from nearly 30 metres out in Sundays 2-0 home win against Guingamp, taking his league tally to six goals in 13 league games.Last season, Evian finished four points above the relegation zone, with Wass contributing nine league goals.This term, his scoring return is fractionally less impressive than that of PSG striker Edinson Cavani, who cost a club record €64 million ($80 million ).In total, Wass has played only 29 minutes longer than Cavani.(Next season) hell be free to display his talents elsewhere, said Evian coach Pascal Dupraz. I invite the big clubs to take a look at him.___LYONS LAMENTLyons nine-game unbeaten run ended with a 3-0 loss at Saint-Etienne Sunday and coach Hubert Fournier has challenged his players to respond against Reims on Thursday.Third-place Lyon was inferior in every department as Saint-Etienne beat its fierce local rival at home for the first time in 20 years.Im thinking about our fans and were sad to have played so badly, Fournier said. It was a collective failure for which myself and the technical staff accept our share of the blame.Fournier thinks the players may have become complacent.We need to show some character and a good dose of humility, he said. Well see on Thursday.___LAME LILLELille is 10 games without a win and has won only once in 14 — hardly encouraging before facing defending champion Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.The goals have almost completely dried up for coach Rene Girards hard-working, yet unspectacular side, with only six scored in the past 14 matches.Salomon Kalou has not been properly replaced since leaving to join Hertha Berlin in the off-season.Divock Origi, who is on loan from Liverpool, has managed three league goals so far, while strike partner Nolan Roux has just one.Kalou scored 30 league goals in 67 games in two seasons with Lille. ' ' '