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Get out your passports, eh.
The No. 6 Brooklyn Nets will face the No. 3 Toronto Raptors in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Game 1 will be 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Air Canada Centre. It will air on ESPN. Brooklyn split the season series 2-2 with the Atlantic Division champions.
Here is the official schedule that the NBA released. The Nets won't play in Brooklyn until next Friday.
#Nets sked: GM 1 Sat. 12:30; GM 2 Tues. 8; GM 3 Fri. 7; GM 4 Sun. 7; GM 5 Wed. TBD; GM 6 Fri. TBD; GM 7 Sun. TBD
— Mike Mazzeo (@MazzESPN) April 17, 2014
Of the four games between the Nets and Raptors this year, three were decided by four or fewer points, the last one a heart-breaker. By losing Wednesday, Brooklyn avoided another first-round matchup with the Bulls, who dropped to the fourth seed and face the Wizards who finished at No. 5.
The Nets are now in the same bracket as the Heat, who will play the Bobcats in the first round. Brooklyn went 4-0 against Miami in the regular season.
Nets players have logged 563 post-season games --511 as starters. Mason Plumlee, Jorge Gutierrez, Marcus Thornton and Alan Anderson are the only Nets with no playoff experience. Thornton tweeted out his excitement
5 yrs in and now I can finally say playoff time where u really make a name for yourself #LetsGetIt
— Marcus Thornton (@OfficialMT23) April 17, 2014
The last time the Nets won a playoff series was in 2007 when New Jersey beat Toronto in six with Jason Kidd averaging a triple-double. Jason Collins' defense on Chris Bosh was crucial to that series win.
- Nets-Raptors Preview (Video) - ESPN
- For Brooklyn Nets, the pressure is officially on - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- With their payroll, Nets are no underdog - Andy Vasquez - The Record
- Brooklyn Nets-Toronto Raptors Playoff Schedule - The Brooklyn Game
- Raptors: Stories and talking points about with Toronto-Brooklyn Nets NBA playoff series - Doug Smith