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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It was a statement game, all right.
And the New Jersey Nets' fans made theirs midway through the third quarter, when they rained boos down on their team to match the storm of jump shots from the Toronto Raptors.
There was a lot of jump shots — and a fair amount of booing — as the Raptors took the Nets apart 106-69 last night.
Just another game? Just the second game in an 82-game schedule? Not at all.
Toronto's Rasho Nesterovic, left, blocks a shot by New Jersey's Jamaal Magloire during the second quarter of their game Friday night. The Raptors blew out the Nets 106-69. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
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- Boston Celtics
- New Jersey Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
- Chris Bosh
- T.J. Ford
- Kris Humphries
How about one for the history books, as the Raptors set a franchise record for margin of victory in a road win, breaking the mark set in 1997, and established another for fewest points given up by a Raptors team on the road.
That the performance came at the IZOD Center, where the Raptors, 2-0, lost all five games last season, including three in their six-game loss to the Nets, 1-1, in the first round of the playoffs, was surely a coincidence.
"I didn't even realize what the score was because we're on our guys about playing defence, being in help position, rebounding the basketball," head coach Sam Mitchell said. "It was a good win for us, but it's Game 2 and we got 82 to go, so you take it for what it's worth."
At least Chris Bosh could acknowledge the obvious.
"It does add a lot to it, being in this building," the forward said. "We did lose here in the playoffs, so that puts a significant factor to it, but this is [a rival Atlantic Division] opponent. They're a good team. They're going to be one of the best teams in the East, and they're one of the best."
Toronto did it by shooting 50.6 per cent from the floor, while holding New Jersey to 36.8 per cent. Toronto had eight players score at least seven points and seven players hit a three-point shot, all while making 10 steals and forcing 19 Nets turnovers.
Andrea Bargnani led the Raptors with 21 points, while Richard Jefferson had 27 for the Nets. Former Raptors star Vince Carter scored the 15,000th point of his NBA career, but only got seven in the game.
The two teams were tied 21-21 at the end of the first quarter, before the Raptors hit the Nets with the three elements of their approach they hope will carry them far: depth, quality shooting and a team commitment to defence.
It was the team's second unit, sparked by an eight-point, five-assist performance by point guard Jose Calderon, that really got Toronto rolling, starting the second quarter on a 22-7 run.
And while the Raptors shot 63.6 per cent in the second quarter, it was their defence that was most impressive as they held the Nets to 40-per-cent shooting for the quarter, while making six steals, blocking three shots and forcing eight Nets turnovers.
"We understand we have to get better defensively and rebounding," Mitchell said. "We feel like we have guys who can shoot the basketball and can score, but in order to compete in the Eastern Conference, we got to play defence and rebound the basketball."
It was some sharp defence that sparked the game's signature play.
After Toronto point guard T.J. Ford hit a tough jump shot with the clock winding down before the end of the half, Bosh dropped back to pick off a Nets outlet pass and in one motion launched a 70-foot shot the other way that dropped at the buzzer — the ultimate reward for an impressive defensive effort.
"It just looked good," Bosh said. "I was just lined up with the goal and I had a good shot. I'm happy it went it, it kind of sparked us a little bit."
