Raptors Remain Hopeful Despite Facing Elimination
Posted April 30, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ever the optimists, the Toronto Raptors are keeping their spirits and hopes high, despite the fact that they face playoff elimination on Tuesday night at the hands of Vince Carter’s New Jersey Nets.
“It’s a similar situation to what we’ve faced all season,” said Toronto ‘s Anthony Parker.
“Obviously this is an elimination game, without a win the season’s over. But I feel confident we can come out and get it done. I’m excited to be back home, play in front of the home crowd.”
The Nets ran ahead to a 3-1 series lead after dominating the last two games against Toronto in New Jersey . They capped the impressive home stretch with a commanding 102-81 blowout on Sunday.
Should the Raptors rally to win the series, they would become just the ninth team in NBA history to climb back from such a deficit. In other words, the odds are stacked disproportionately against them.
Adding to the dismal outlook is the untimely illness of point guard T.J. Ford, who remains in bed with the flu.
“He’s sick, he hadn’t eaten in three days,” said Raptors coach Sam Mitchell. “He came in and I sent him home. He’s tired, he said he hadn’t been able to eat.”
But Mitchell has more to worry about than Ford, namely a certain Jersey trio that’s dominated the hardwood.
“Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, (former Raptor) Vince Carter, they’ve outplayed us, ” Mitchell admits. “You’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Jason Kidd, he and Vince, the last two games, have just taken it to us.”
The Nets have also done a number of Chris Bosh defensively, holding him to just 24 points over the past two games.
“We’re at a point now where we just have to go play, and whatever happens, happens,” Bosh said Monday. “We have a winning mind-frame, we have to stay alive and we know that the only way we’re going to do that is stay relaxed and play the basketball that we know how to play.”
