to open the fourth quarter ended an 8:22 drought and r

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. 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." Tyler Boyd Jersey .com) - Driphus Jackson had three touchdown passes, including two in a 19-second span in the opening quarter, to guide Rice to a 30-6 rout of Fresno State at the Hawaii Bowl. Alex Erickson Jersey . Spezza scored a power-play goal with 5 minutes left and Stephane Da Costa had the other two goals to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. http://www.officialcincinnatibengalsfootball.com/authentic-michael-johnson-jersey-womens . A strong fastball. A big, bending curveball that can buckle hitters at the knees. Against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, Elias put the entire package together against one of the leagues strongest lineups. A.J. Green Jersey . 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The 33-year-old suffered a serious eye injury when struck by a puck during a game versus Colorado in March of 2011.SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich did not want anyone to acknowledge it was his 66th birthday, let alone celebrate it.Still, the Spurs serenaded Popovich after presenting the often cranky coach with their sixth straight win at home, moving him three games closer to 1,000 career victories.Tony Parker scored 17 points and San Antonio overcame another lethargic third quarter to beat the Charlotte Hornets 95-86 Wednesday night.Popovich pretended not to understand when a reporter asked him about his birthday, which was a warmer response than he offered his players.Parker recoiled when asked about Popovichs birthday.He doesnt like it (celebration); youre going to get me in trouble, Parker said. We sang for him, but yeah, he hates it. Yeah, it was after the game, the whole team sang to him.Popovich may not have enjoyed the attention, but he was OK with how the day ended.Danny Green had 16 points and Tim Duncan added 12 points and 14 rebounds as San Antonio won its ninth straight over Charlotte.Gerald Henderson scored 18 points, Al Jefferson had 17 points and 16 rebounds and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 14 points for Charlotte. The Hornets were without star guard Kemba Walker, who will be out at least six weeks following surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.San Antonio built an 18-point lead in the first half as Charlotte struggled to fill its point guard depth without Walker, but the Spurs gave it all back just as quickly. San Antonio shot 4 for 21 from the field in the third quarter, but maintained its lead by hitting five free throws in the final 2 minutes.We went through a little dry spell in the third quarter, Green said. It seemed like there was a lid on the basket, but we kept moving, kept finding each other, and kept penetrating. Our defence is what kept us in the lead.The Spurs did not make another field goal in the third quarter following Matt Bonners 3-pointer with 7:18 remaining. Lance Stephenson punctuated the dry spell with an emphatic swat of Aron Baynes attempted reverse layup in the closing seconds of the period.Sticking to our defensive rules, Jefferson said of Charlottes run. San Antonio is a team that wants to drive middle every time. Get the ball in the middle of the paint and make plays for everybody else. We did a good job defending that in the third quarter.Bonners 3 to open the fourth quarter ended an 8:22 drought and reinvigorated the Spurs. San Antonio made four 3s in tthe final quarter in rebuilding a double-digit lead.ddddddddddddThe victory proved difficult even without Walker.In addition to being the teams starting point guard, Walker also leads the Hornets in scoring (18.8), assists (5.2) and steals (1.4)With Walker out, Parker attacked the lane against the slower Brian Roberts and scored nine of the Spurs first 13 points. Parker closed the run with a 17-foot jumper over Roberts for a 13-12 lead with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter.Despite Parkers early success, the Hornets played the Spurs even when Roberts was in.It was once Roberts exited that Charlotte struggled.San Antonio made four 3s in a 14-2 run bridging the first and second quarter with Roberts out.After Green hit a 3 that led P.J. Hairston to roll his eyes and look skyward in frustration, Mills second 3 of the run gave San Antonio a 33-19 lead with 10:42 remaining in the first half.TIP-INSHornets: Charlotte is 7-14 on the road this season. ... Hornets coach Steve Clifford allowed Neal to give the pregame scouting report on his former team. His biggest advice? Manu Ginobili goes left. ... Charlottes lone victory in San Antonio came Nov. 15, 2006, a 92-85 win in overtime.Spurs: San Antonio is 8-3 in its last 11 games, second only to Atlanta (11-0) during that stretch. ... After failing to reach an agreement with F JaMychal Green on a second, 10-day contract, the Spurs signed F Reggie Williams of the Oklahoma City Blue on Wednesday. The 6-foot-6 Williams was averaging 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 13 games with the Blue before signing a 10-day contract with the Spurs. ... San Antonio is 18-2 overall against Charlotte, losing once on the road and once at home to the Hornets.TIM WHO?Popovich was asked if he demanded Duncan sing Happy Birthday to him, which drew a mischievous look from the Spurs coach. Tim and I dont talk, we dont talk, Popovich said. We stopped talking six, seven, eight years ago.KEEP GOINGClifford said losing Walker is obviously a tough blow for the young Hornets, but he believes the team can persevere without their leader. Its a conscious decision for all of us, Clifford said. We can take the easy way out when were playing without (Kemba), but obviously, to me there is a toughness and intelligence about the group of guys that are playing right now that should allow us to win here going forward.UP NEXTHornets: At Denver on Saturday.Spurs: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. 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