t theyve been able to accomplish this year. Sieg was a career-

TORONTO -- To prepare his players for the biggest game of their lives, Raptors coach Dwane Casey borrowed from the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. MLB Jerseys . "I go back to my experience. (Mavericks coach) Rick Carlisle has a thing, Wipe off the blackboard. Just wipe it off," said Casey, an assistant under Carlisle on that 2011 Mavs squad. "Nothing on the blackboard is really going to make a difference at this time of year. At this game, Game 7, its mental." The Raptors host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in a game that will either advance them into the second round of the post-season for just the second time in the franchises 19-year history, or send them home. Sundays winner faces the two-time NBA defending champion Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals beginning Tuesday in Miami. By wiping the blackboard, Casey trusts the Raptors that have scraped and clawed to so many huge wins in this unexpected season of success wont go down without a fight Sunday. The coach likens his team to Freddie Krueger -- the unkillable villain from "A Nightmare on Elm Street" movies and a name Casey has mentioned after virtually every unlikely victory this season. "Its our approach," Casey said Saturday. "Its our toughness. Its our persistence on getting open. Our persistence in defending. Our persistence in going for loose balls, rebounds. Thats what this game is going to be about." Casey had the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre for a long session Saturday, the morning after a woeful 97-83 loss to the Nets in Game 6 at Brooklyn. In a series that has been feisty since before the first ball was even thrown up, Nets centre Andray Blatche fired the latest shot Saturday night. "We guarantee were going to go there and take care of business and go to Miami," Blatche told reporters at Barclays Center. The Raptors shrugged off the comment. "I dont care what he said," said Raptors all-star DeMar DeRozan. "He can say what he wants, honestly. He can go out there and say hes going to hit the lottery tomorrow, I could give a hell." Raptors backup guard Greivis Vasquez added: "I dont know who does he think he is. Hes not KG (Kevin Garnett) or Paul Pierce or Jason Kidd. Were not going to listen to his nonsense. Hes gotta earn that, and he hasnt yet." Vasquez said the Raptors are focused only on themselves, and with good reason. They could have closed out the series Friday night, but instead slogged out to their worst opening quarter of the series Saturday night, and trailed by as much as 26 points. Once again, Casey showed his players video footage of the bouncing and cheering mass of fans that turned out to watch the game at Maple Leaf Square. "This is what youre playing for," Casey told them. While the vastly-inexperienced Raptors battled nerves early on in the quarter-final series, Casey would have liked to have seen some Friday night. "I wanted nerves in the first quarter because we came out like we were in never-never-land," the coach said. "We want the passion. We want the feelings. I dont mind nerves because a couple of times up and down the floor you get hit, you get knocked down, those nerves go away. "Weve just got to come out with a stronger constitution out of the locker-room." DeRozan, who has shone in his first-ever play appearance, said theres more pressure on the Nets. Brooklyn assembled a star-studded squad with its sights set on an NBA title, signing all-stars Pierce and Garnett in the off-season. "Yeah, man. We aint got no 100 million, whatever payroll they got," DeRozan said -- the figure is actually US$180 million-plus with payroll and taxes. "Hey, thats all on them. At the end of the day they have more to lose than us." The Raptors know that this season will be considered a success even if they dont make it to the second round. They were all but written off when the season began, and played to the low expectations until the blockbuster seven-player deal in December that sent Rudy Gay to Sacramento. The turnaround was remarkable. They went on to win their second Atlantic Division title, earning the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. The players -- the majority of whom had little to no playoff experience when this series began -- are soaking up every moment of their post-season run. "Honestly, this is what you live for, man -- to play and be in moments like this, honestly, because they last forever," DeRozan said. "Memories like that are going to last way after Im finished playing so youve definitely got to take advantage of it and understand youve got to go out there and play youre A-game." Vasquez was asked how exciting it is to play a Game 7 at home. "See, thats the best question," he replied. "Thats the best question. Were in a position right now to really make a solid push and then shut everybody up. You dont have to talk about our experience or anything like that, were going to get it done. "This is what you dream about. Thats when you go play at the park, you think about Game 7 against those guys. Its just fun." Chuck Hayes, acquired in the Sacramento trade, has played in two Game 7s with the Houston Rockets. The Rockets lost them both, and he talked to the team about playing with that win-or-go-home urgency and energy. "You should be exhausted by the time the game is over with," Hayes said. "You should be exhausted every timeout because the intensity is going to be risen, the atmosphere, everything. You probably wont even be able to hear yourself think. Its a fun experience though." DeRozan, who likes to go to the Air Canada Centre to shoot baskets late at night, said he planned to head home after practice Saturday and have a nap. Hed then watch Friday nights Game 6 again, and "get mentally ready for (Sunday)." Vasquez, a father of two children, said he would spend Saturday night relaxing with his family to take his mind off the game. "I dont really like thinking about the game, like Ahhh, putting so much pressure on myself," he said. "I think when you relax and let the game come to you -- obviously, you focus, you get your rest, you watch other NBA games -- thats the way I do it. "Im not going to lie, its a big game. Ive been in a Game 7 before to go in the conference finals and that was one of the best experiences I ever had. And (Sunday), I know for sure its going to be the best game of my life." Jordan Roland Jersey . With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup. Jermaine Marrow Jersey . Pace had a career-high 10 sacks for Rex Ryans defence-- second only to Muhammad Wilkersons 10 1/2 -- in his sixth season with the Jets. The 33-year-old outside linebacker was an unrestricted free agent. https://www.cheapmlbjerseysjustwholesale.com/nike-nfl-jerseys-2020.html . Still, Encarnacion felt a sense of relief. He felt a pop just before crumpling to the ground after running out a groundball in the first inning of Saturdays game. It could have been worse. “Its going to take maybe two weeks,” said Encarnacion. “It depends how Im going to be and how Im going to be day after day, feeling better or not.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - From his perch atop Regan Smiths pit box, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a clear view of the Daytona International Speedway finish line. He thought he was about to watch Smith win as his driver pulled away from the pack on the final lap Friday night in the Nationwide Series race. Then Kasey Kahne came charging through the outside lane, pulled alongside Smith and nipped him at the finish line. No worries for Earnhardt: Kahne also was in one of JR Motorsports Chevrolets. "I was just glad that it was one of our cars when I saw somebody flying by on the top," Earnhardt said. "When I got a glimpse of it, I was happy to see it was (Kahne.) It was Kahnes first Nationwide victory since a 2007 win at Bristol while driving for Ray Evernham. He hoped to translate it into another victory Saturday night in the Sprint Cup Series as Kahne looks for his first win of the season. Kahne is the only driver of the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers yet to win this season. "This will carry. I havent won in a while. To win in anything is good," Kahne said. "When I first came into this series in 02, I struggled to pick up stock cars. Id go and race my sprint car and could still win in sprint car races and Id come back feeling like I could win. ... Id run 15th or 20th, but I still felt way better coming back into that race after running my sprint car. Any momentum is good momentum." Kahne was 12th on a restart with three laps to go when Chase Elliott, another JR Motorsports driver, sputtered at the front of the field when the race went to green. It stacked up traffic behind Elliott and triggered a four-car crash that halted the restart. Kahne manoeuvred his way through the accident and found himself eighth when the race resumed for a two-lap overtime sprint to the finish. He weaved his way through traffic, but didnt appear to be in the mix for a shot at the win as Smith pulled away from the pack. But as the field hurtled through the final turn, Kyle Larson jumped out of line and made it three-wide behind Smith. Kahne moved into the top lane and, using a push from Ryan Sieg, charged alongside Smith and beat him to the line by .021 seconds. "Everything I did tonight was wrong — I looked in my mirror and would be like Go and then decide not to and itd be the right move," Kahne said. "I didnt really do a whole lot right, but at the end, II got a big push from (Sieg) and was able to get by Regan there. MLB Jerseys 2020. Just had tons of momentum there coming off turn four and had a fast car." Smith couldnt offer a better last-lap strategy then the one he used. "If I go up any higher, we probably all wreck right there," Smith said. "I dont know how to do it any different. Ill have to study the tape and see where I messed up. I had a pretty good sized gap, but at that point you cant crack the throttle or drag the brake. I lost just enough momentum that it didnt quite work out." It was the sixth win this season for JR Motorsports, and second consecutive following Kevin Harvicks victory last week at Kentucky. "It feels good to win. These guys have won five times already this year, so its nice to get one. It was a fun race." Smith, one of JR Motorsports two full-time drivers, wound up second in his return to Daytona following his victory in Februarys season-opener. Despite the defeat, Smith reclaimed the series points lead from Elliott Sadler. "Its kind of bittersweet," Smith said. "Im disappointed for the team, Im disappointed for my guys, and selfishly Im disappointed. But, for JR Motorsports, Im happy. A 1-2 finish is great. Its kind of a weird mix of emotions right now. "Im happy for the company and frustrated for the 7 team." Earnhardt was thrilled with the 1-2 finish and the sixth win for his company. "Im proud of the company and what theyve been able to accomplish this year. Sieg was a career-best third. "It was a win for us," Sieg said. "Hopefully it will bring some more sponsors. It would be nice to have a full-time sponsor, hopefully we turned some eyes." The performance earned huge praise from Earnhardt, who said he spent time watching Sieg race during last months race at Dover. "He impressed the hell out of me. I had not really paid a ton of attention to him prior to that, and I know those guys run on a shoestring (budget), but he had a couple of runs during the race at Dover that were better than anyone outside the top-five," Earnhardt said. "Its great to see him run well because I think he does a lot with very little." Ryan Reed finished a career-best fourth and was followed by Larson, Joey Logano and Darrell Wallace Jr. The top 10 was rounded out by Jeremy Clements, Trevor Bayne and Mike Wallace. ' ' '