After putting together an impressive Game 1 performance, the Brooklyn Nets looked non-existent in Game 2 as the Toronto Raptors evened the playoff series up. Brooklyn got beat in the paint on Tuesday night as they fell 100-95. Clearly upset with the performance of the team, both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett called out their teammates in hopes that the tough love will bring a win when the series shifts to Brooklyn.
According to Pierce, the Nets were simply "soft" against the Raptors in Game 2. Toronto shot 75 percent from the field in the fourth quarter to take the lead from Brooklyn as the Nets were outrebounded 52-30 and beat on the glass. Pierce believes that if the team can get rebounding back under control they can take the series lead in Game 3.
"I thought guys stuck to their man individually for the most part and didn't help one another and that is the big part of our defense," Pierce said, via ESPN.com. "Sink and shrinking the floor, locking down the paint, tonight too many touches for them in the paint, too many paint points, and we didn't rebound. We gave them everything they wanted, 50 points in the paint, and [19] offensive rebounds. We were a soft team tonight."
Garnett agrees with his long-time teammate. He noted that Brooklyn did not play their best basketball in Game 2, but he believes the shift back to home court where the Nets have excelled in the second half of the regular season will get things back on track. Brooklyn posted one of the best home records at the turn of the new year and having Game 3 and 4 back at the Barclays Center could prove to be a big advantage for the team.
Garnett reference the controversial comments by Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri as motivation. Ujiri was recently fined $25,000 for yelling, "F--- Brooklyn" during a team pep rally prior to Game 1 in Toronto. Garnett is hoping the come home to a rowdy crowd to cancel out the Raptors.
"We know it's going to be a rowdy environment, like it should be," Garnett said. "I don't know if you can say 'F Brooklyn' and then come into Brooklyn. So we're about to see what it's like."
