Nets at Raptors: What bettors need to know
Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors (-3, 188.5)
The Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors meet Sunday in Toronto in Game 7 of their first-round series, with the winner advancing to face defending NBA champion Miami. The Nets stayed alive with a 97-83 win at home on Friday, building a 26-point lead and hanging on in their most complete effort of the series. Brooklyn did it with the players on whom the franchise is leaning, as Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett combined for 65 points on 50 percent shooting.
The Raptors earned the right to decide this on their home floor but will have some pressure to make it hold up and bring the franchise its first playoff series win in 13 years, especially with the experienced Nets now oozing with confidence. Pierce said he loved his team's chances and reserve center Andray Blatche already guaranteed that Brooklyn will be moving on to face Miami, but Toronto's players were not backing down. "For us to have any doubt in our minds right now is not acceptable," Raptors forward Patrick Patterson told reporters following Game 6.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE NETS: Some of the Game 6 performance can be credited to coach Jason Kidd's personnel shifts, which saw him replace Shaun Livingston with Alan Anderson - who had nine points and a team-high nine rebounds - in the starting lineup and stick with more experience off the bench. Kidd also relied on Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in the fourth quarter after sitting them in the final period in Game 5, and Garnett had a pair of big hoops to help fight off another fourth-quarter rally for Toronto. "(Kidd) wanted to mix it up a little bit, and it was a good call," said Garnett, who tied a series high with 13 points while playing 27 minutes, his highest total since Jan. 10.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS: DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have carried Toronto much of the season and are averaging a combined 44.8 points in the series, but they could use a little help in Game 7. No other Raptor scored in double figures and the team as a whole shot 38.5 percent in the 83-point showing Friday night. Forward Amir Johnson has proven to be the most important complementary piece, averaging 14.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in Toronto's three wins, compared to 4.3 points and four boards in its losses.
TRENDS:
* Underdog is 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Nets are 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Toronto.
* Nets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight Sunday games.
* Raptors are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games following a ATS loss.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Anderson is averaging 11 points in the last two games after totaling 13 on 5-of-15 shooting in the first four.
2. DeRozan and Lowry have combined to shoot 39.5 percent from the floor.
3. Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas is shooting 68.2 percent from the field and 61.2 percent from the line in the series.