Hot News: Toronto Raptors' lack of playoff experience shows in Game 1 loss to Brooklyn Nets

TORONTO - It was the game everybody with the Toronto Raptors feared - plus a large helping of weirdness.

For so long, the Raptors' much-discussed lack of experience shone through, as the team failed to execute coherently on both ends. As well, general manager Masai Ujiri decided to spice things up by yelling, 'F- Brooklyn' to cap his speech in Maple Leaf Square. In the second half, the game clocks stopped working, and were off for the rest of the game.

The Raptors could not overcome all of that. The turnovers mounted, DeMar DeRozan struggled in his playoff debut, and the Nets took home-court advantage with a 94-87 win in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Like Vince Carter and Chris Bosh before him, DeRozan, the Raptors' lone all-star, had a forgettable performance in his first playoff game. He shot just 3-for-13 from the field. There were some other concerning signs: Amir Johnson failing to get on the floor in the fourth quarter and Terrence Ross dealing with foul trouble all afternoon. To add to it, the whistle seemed to go against the Raptors for most of the afternoon. Again: as predicted.

Thankfully for the Raptors, the Nets could not find the target from long range. They had a lot of good looks, but shot 4-for-24 from three-point territory. However, Paul Pierce's bomb with 2:57 remaining was the decisive blow, giving the Nets a six-point lead. He hit two more mid-range shots just for fun.

It almost seemed as if the Nets rigged the game to benefit them. Midway through the third quarter, the shot clock malfunctioned, causing a 15-minute delay. Plenty has been said that the drawn out nature of the series helps the older Nets, and a long break could not have hurt, either. When play resumed, public address announcer Herbie Kuhn was tasked with counting down the still malfunctioning shot clock.

The questions surrounding inexperience peppered the Raptors this weekend. At this point, DeRozan might be surprised if the first question tossed at him on Sunday is not prefaced with, 'So, heading into your second career playoff game...'

'We're all curious about [how our young players will react]. But we've got to lace them up, tie 'em up, go on that hardwood. They've got to lace them up, tie 'em up, go on that hardwood,' point guard Kyle Lowry said. 'And we've got to run up and down and shoot balls and play defence. At the end of the day they might have a little bit more experience about where they get shots and the physicality. But we've got to start somewhere. We have two sophomores starting the game. This is a great start for them in their sophomore season, to get a start like this, to get an opportunity to play against a team like this.'

There were some early signs of jitters. Both Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas dribbled the ball off of their feet early on for a turnover. Midway through the third quarter, the Raptors had 13 turnovers and the Nets had three.

Terrence Ross picked up two quick fouls as he tried to chase Deron Williams around screens, although they were caused by Ross having to contend with some screens of questionable legality. DeRozan missed his first eight shots, including an attempted bank shot that did not even touch the rim. He hit his first field goal with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter.

The difference between DeRozan and Brooklyn's Joe Johnson was apparent. DeRozan had no luck getting to his comfortable spots on the floor, with the Nets goading him into three-pointers. Johnson, the seven-time all-star, reliably put his defender on his hip, freeing himself up to take his patented floater in the lane.

As usual with these Raptors, Lowry steadied things. He ended the first quarter on a personal 8-4 run - a free throw, two layups and a three-pointer. Lowry does not have much playoff experience himself. However, with the way he carries himself, there was never a doubt how he would respond.

From there, the Raptors got back into the game on the strength of offence from Greivis Vasquez and Lowry.

Post By http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/04/19/toronto-raptors-lack-of-playoff-experience-shows-in-game-1-loss-to-brooklyn-nets/