After a regular season that saw the Toronto Raptors win a franchise record 48 games during the regular season, the team now has their sights set on an NBA championship as the NBA playoffs begin this weekend.
The Raptors secured the Eastern Conference’s three seed as Atlantic Division champs. Their first-round matchup will be against the team who finished behind them in the division, the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets, of course, added 36-year-old Paul Pierce and 37-year-old Kevin Garnett last summer to bolster their hopes of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the season. When you have older players on your team, sometimes people take shots their ages, like the Toronto Sun.
Brooklyn, we tried to keep it friendly … wait, no we didn't. Tmrw's @TheTorontoSun front. #Raptors #Nets #tank pic.twitter.com/anzZYhBuDl
— Jon McCarthy (@jonmccarthySUN) April 19, 2014
Cold world.
The Nets had a chance to claim the fifth seed on the final day of the season with a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Jason Kidd rested all five of his starters. The 114-85 loss (combined with a Wizards win over the Celtics) meant the Nets fell to sixth.
Did the Nets “tank” that final game to set up a series with the Raptors? Some around Toronto think so.
