On May 4, 2013, the Nets lost a hard-fought 99-93 contest at home to a depleted, injury-ridden Chicago Bulls team, wasting home-court advantage in the first Game 7 in their Brooklyn history. The loss sent the Nets reeling, looking for answers to fill their gaps, firing their interim head coach and shipping out multiple rotation players.
Exactly one year later, following franchise-altering trades, 88 games, two calendar years of effectiveness, and the Nets head into a near-identical situation they had last year: a Game 7 against a tough first-round opponent, with zero Game 7 wins in their franchise’s NBA history.
This series couldn’t be closer. In four regular season games and six playoff games, the Raptors have outscored the Nets 967-966. In the six playoff games, the Nets have a 580-570 edge. A win will catapult one team into the second round to face the Miami Heat, and send the other team home for exit interviews and an offseason of questions.
With Game 7 looming this afternoon, here’s 7 things to watch. Tipoff at 1 P.M. EST. Catch you then.
