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BROOKLYN - If you subscribe to the concept of momentum, theres reason to be concerned about the Raptors chances going into Sundays series deciding Game 7. The shift began amid Wednesdays fourth-quarter meltdown, a 44-point browbeating, and carried over to Fridays Game 6. Facing elimination on their home court, a desperate Nets team jumped out to a 34-19 lead after 12 minutes and the Raptors - dazed and confused - never recovered, trailing for the duration. So how crucial is momentum at this time of year? "If you look at the series, the way its gone, its been like a roller coaster the whole time," Dwane Casey said following his teams 97-83 loss in Brooklyn, forcing a Game 7 on Sunday afternoon, tipping off at 1:00 PM from the Air Canada Centre. "Every game has been different." And that was the extent of Caseys post-game assembly. Questions about momentum, clearly favouring their surging opponents. Questions regarding experience, also favouring the veteran Nets. The Raptors were being written off before departing Brooklyn. "To listen to some of this, we may as well not play Game 7," said an agitated Casey. "Every game is different and I know our team will bounce back." For a brief, fleeting moment, Caseys team played the unfamiliar role of favourites, up 3-2 in the series, and it wasnt a good look for them. From the moment Rudy Gay was traded theyve fancied themselves underdogs. Its what brought them together, its what motivates them. Without that built-in adversity, they were unrecognizable. The Nets opened the game with the fight you would expect from a team on the ropes and for whatever reason, Toronto was unable to match it. The Raptors were flat offensively and showed little-to-no resistance on defence. Brooklyn outscored the Raptors 22-4 in the paint, out-rebounded them 14-4 and shot an impressive 68 per cent from the field. They moved the ball, got in the lane at will and controlled the tempo of the game from the jump, while the Raptors could barely get into their offensive sets. "It just comes down to who wants it more," DeMar DeRozan had said the day prior. On Friday it was all Brooklyn. "We didnt really realize we had Brooklyn against the wall and we didnt take advantage of it like we should," said DeRozan after leading the team with 28 points, no one else scored more than Kyle Lowrys 11. "We should have known they were going to come out throwing haymakers and we werent ready for it until the second half." "We just didnt come out with the competitive nature that we needed tonight," Lowry added. "They did an unbelievable job of forcing their will on the game tonight, but we have to find a way to match that intensity." In taking control of the series, Toronto had finally dodged the dreaded inexperience narrative that theyve been trying to shake since they drew the Nets but here it is, rearing its head once again. This was a scenario Casey had considered, one he feared. "I was concerned about what would happen tonight," the Raptors coach admitted. "[In] any Game 6, a team is going to come out with a desperate mindset. With this team, they built to win a championship this year, and theyre going to come out and give you their best shot. [I] knew that coming in and tried to warn our team. Guys who havent been in Game 6 before, its one of the toughest things to do." "Again, experience is the best teacher. Now were going into Game 7, its our first time at that. Luckily we have it at home." Yes, they will play Sundays elimination game in the friendly confines of their home gym, in front of a fan base that has been exceptionally supportive throughout their playoff run. That may be the only tangible reason to like their odds. As a franchise, the Raptors have only participated in one Game 7, the infamous day of Vince Carters graduation and missed fadeaway back in 2001. They have never hosted a deciding playoff game at the Air Canada Centre. With Portlands win over Houston, the Raptors now have the NBAs longest active streak without a playoff series victory. None of Torontos starters have played in a Game 7 while Paul Pierce alone has appeared in eight, Kevin Garnett in six and Joe Johnson in four. And then theres the momentum, if you believe in such things. The Raptors say they dont buy into momentum. The Nets, however, are counting on it. "I think we just need to take this momentum from this game into the next," said Nets forward Andray Blatche, who guaranteed a victory on Wednesday and did the same for Game 7. "I think our momentum will carry over. I think we found a recipe in getting a win on defence and offence and controlling the paint." So here they are. After all this time - two weeks, six games, broken shot clocks, a lint-free global ambassador and an F-bomb dropping general manager - the division-winning Toronto Raptors are right back where they started. Theyre a young, inexperienced team in over their heads, right? Maybe. But if nothing else, theyre back in their comfort zone. Theyre going to be overlooked, theyre going to be the underdogs. So, count them out at your own risk. "We believe in ourselves," Patrick Patterson insisted. "Everyone in this locker room believes in ourselves. Weve believed in ourselves all year long. For us to have any doubt in our minds right now is unacceptable. Its not like we cant beat them. Weve beat them before. Weve done it in the regular season [and] weve done it in the playoffs." "Now we know its win or go home," DeRozan said. "Everything is on the line now. Either we step up and we play with a force from the jump ball to the end of the game, or well be going home the next day." 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Cornet broke Bouchard twice in the last set and saved six break points in the three-hour match.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Blue Jays will try to bounce back from a series loss on Monday evening as they play host to the struggling Boston Red Sox in the first of three straight meetings. The Blue Jays began their nine-game residency by losing two of three to the Tampa Bay Rays, losing Sundays rubber match 2-1 in 10 innings. That defeat leaves Toronto 5 1/2 games back of the second wild card spot in the American League. J.A. Happ starts tonight for the Blue Jays hoping to end a three-start losing streak. He lasted only 3 1/3 innings on Tuesday at Milwaukee, charged with four runs on six hits and two walks. "We got outplayed and it started with me," said the left-hander, who is now 8-8 with a 4.39 earned run average on the season. Happ has gone 3-2 with a 4.36 ERA over his career against Boston and picked up his most recent victory against the club on July 22. The 31-year-old logged six scoreless innings, working around seven hits. Happ is set to go against a Boston club that has lost eight in a row and finished up a 2-9 homestand with an 8-6 loss to Seattle on Sunday. "The thing that we continue to stress is the unanswered runs," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "When we score, the ability to then put up a zero is key. For us to snap out of where we are, its going to come from morre consistency on the mound.dddddddddddd" It was a tough series at the plate for the Red Sox, who placed shortstop Xander Bogaerts on the seven-day concussion disabled list after Sundays game. Bogaerts was hit in the head by a changeup from Mariners starter Felix Hernandez on Friday. David Ortiz, meanwhile, was hit by a pitch on Saturday, but was in the lineup the following day before fouling a ball off his right foot. He left after the sixth inning and is day-to-day. Boston kicks off a 10-game road trip tonight with Clay Buchholz on the hill. Buchholz has not won since July 18, going 0-3 with a 7.05 ERA in six starts since. He is coming off Wednesdays setback to the Los Angeles Angels as he yielded six runs over six innings. "I felt good for just about every pitch," said Buchholz. "I just missed location with a couple of pitches and they were able to put a big inning together." The 30-year-old righty is 5-8 with a 5.94 ERA on the year and his current winless streak includes back-to-back losses to Toronto on July 23 and 28. Buchholz allowed a total of 11 earned runs, 13 hits and eight walks over 11 innings as he is now 10-8 lifetime versus the Blue Jays with a 3.22 ERA. The Blue Jays are 10-3 versus the Red Sox this year, winning each of the past six meetings. ' ' '