The Nets and Raptors have put together one of the most entertaining series in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, for off-court reasons as much as what happened in the arena. Wednesday, the Raptors beat the Nets, 115-113, and now have a chance to close their first playoff series since 2001 with the series 3-2 in Toronto's favor.
Raptors vs. Nets, NBA playoffs 2014: Time, TV schedule, radio and more
Toronto has a chance to close out the series against Brooklyn on Friday night.
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Toronto had a blowout win in hand during Game 5 until a late-game push by Brooklyn saw the Raptors eke out a narrow margin of victory. Kyle Lowry scored 36 points and had a team-high six assists as Toronto dropped in 12 three-pointers on 46.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Surprisingly, Brooklyn hasn’t been able to keep the Raptors off the glass in its three losses. On Wednesday, the Nets’ offense was too little, too late as they waited until the fourth quarter to score 44 of their 113 points.
The Nets have been one of the best teams in the NBA since Jan. 1, but they have struggled with the Raptors on both ends of the court. Their stingy defense has been penetrable at times, giving up the lane to DeMar DeRozan and opening up the three-point line for the Raptors attack.
If Brooklyn wants to survive and rally toward the championship that its veteran-filled team is built for, it will need to find a way to lock down on the Raptors from the three-point line and keep them off the glass.
Game time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn
TV: ESPN2
Announcers: Dave Pasch, Jon Barry, Lisa Salters
Local: WWOR, TSN
Radio: WCBS 880 AM, TSN Radio 1050
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