Nets’ RJ’s Late Heroics Leads To “W” To Eliminate Raptors
May 5, 2007 by Angelo Fernandez
Filed under NBA Playoffs
Vince Carter and Jason Kidd played extremely well in this series against the Raptors but it was Richard Jefferson who made the play to close it out. RJ made a clutch basket with 8.3 seconds left to win the game 98-97 and send the Raptors home in Game 6. The series was 4-2.
The New Jersey Nets did what they were supposed to do. They closed out the series at home and avoided a nerve wrecking game 7 situation. To me this was pretty much expected as the Nets have the talent and the experience to edge out the Raptors. What I liked about the performance of the Raptors in this game was that they fought until the end of the game. They never gave up. They fought like they knew they had a great chance to win the game and that almost did happen. The game came down to one play at the end and if RJ somehow didn’t get the ball to go down the Raptors would have won. Unfortunately the more experienced Nets answered to the pressure situation and got the “W”.
As I’ve said before (their performance in this series somehow shows that), the Raptors are a very young talented team. Their hard work got them to the post season in only the first year of their rebuilding efforts under GM Bryan Colangelo. They will get better especially after having some post season experience under their belts. I don’t have much doubt that the Raptors will come back better and wiser coming into the playoffs next season.
As for the Nets, I congratulate them for making it this far and seeing Kidd, RJ and Carter match up against King James and the rest of the Cavaliers should be interesting.
