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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The San Antonio Spurs handled the conditions, and the team, and it sure helped when a suffering LeBron James couldnt make it to the finish.BOSTON -- Phil Pressey had a career-high 13 assists, dove for loose balls and tipped a missed shot to a teammate with three seconds left. Not bad for Bostons 5-foot-11 undrafted rookie who learned after pregame warmups that he would start for just the ninth time. "I started before, so it really wasnt that big a deal," he said. It was to the Celtics, who held off a late surge and broke a season-long nine-game losing streak with a 106-103 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night. Pressey got the call when Rajon Rondo realized his left shin was too sore for him to play. "Phil Pressey gave us a great lift on the defensive end," said Avery Bradley, who led Boston with 22 points. "I feel like thats why we won the game." Boston led 104-103 before Jared Sullinger made two free throws with 2.5 seconds left. Charlotte called timeout then got the ball to Jannero Pargo, who missed a straightaway 3-point shot as time expired. "I put my hands up to make him make a tough shot," Pressey said. "He was kind of fading away. If he made that shot we would have gone into overtime. If not, we win." The Bobcats were led by Al Jefferson with 32 points and 10 rebounds and Gary Neal with 13 points. "We got what we deserved," Jefferson said. "There was no way we can go in the playoffs with that type of mindset." Charlottes season-best five-game winning streak ended as it dropped into the seventh and the next-to-last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It trails Washington by one game after the Wizards beat Orlando 96-86 Friday night. Boston has the fourth-worst record in the NBA after entering the game tied with Orlando for the third-worst. Sullinger scored 20 points and Pressey had 10 with three steals. Charlotte also was missing its top guard, Kemba Walker, who sat out with a sore right groin. Coach Steve Clifford didnt know if he would play Saturday night against Philadelphia. "Im really more concerned about the guys on the floor,&quuot; Clifford said.dddddddddddd "We had very little defence." In a game of surges, Jeffersons short jumper gave Charlotte a 97-96 lead with 4:01 remaining. Boston went ahead 104-97 by scoring the next eight points on a 3-pointer by Sullinger, a layup by Jeff Green and a 3-pointer by Bradley. Luke Ridnours basket with 1:39 to go stopped the run and Jeffersons follow of a missed shot made it 104-101 with 51 seconds left. Then Jeffersons layup cut the lead to one point with 29 seconds to play. With the 24-second clock about to expire, Sullinger missed a 3-pointer, but Pressey tipped the rebound to Brandon Bass. The Bobcats fouled him and Boston took the ball out from the side. Sullinger was fouled immediately when he took the inbounds pass. "Thats just one of the winning plays that coach (Brad) Stevens talks about," Pressey said of his tip, "diving for a loose ball, boxing out, taking the charge, getting offensive rebounds." The Bobcats didnt do enough of that. "We just didnt put much into the game," Clifford said. Boston led 57-55 at halftime and scored the last 12 points of the third quarter, turning a 75-72 deficit into an 84-75 lead. Bass had five points and Green added four during the rally. The Celtics stretched that to 90-77 before the Bobcats came back with a 10-point run to cut the lead to three. Bradleys basket stopped the surge, but Charlotte tied it at 92 with 5:13 to go on a layup by Jefferson and a 3-pointer by Gerald Henderson. But two days after wasting a nine-point lead with 5:44 left and losing to Atlanta 105-97, the Celtics held on. "We learned our lesson," Sullinger said. "We stayed poised." NOTES: Boston F Kris Humphries returned after missing two games with a sore right knee. ... Sullinger suffered a mild left ankle sprain in the third quarter and returned in the fourth. ... Presseys previous high was 11 assists. ... Jefferson is 1-12 in his career against the Celtics. He has a double-double in 10 of his past 12 games. ' ' '