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Toronto Raptors take stranglehold on Brooklyn Nets, go up 3-0 in series – TSN

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TORONTO – For the Toronto Raptors, Friday’s Game 3 felt a bit unusual, and it wasn’t just because they were able to take a stranglehold on their first-round series – an unusual feeling in and of itself.

The Raptors have had home-court advantage in 10 of their last 13 playoff series, and they would have had it in this one too, if not for the pandemic. Meaning that, in the days leading up to Game 3, they’re accustomed to travelling, getting settled in a different city, and preparing to play a crucial, momentum-shifting contest in front of a raucous road crowd.

However, in their new normal as residents of the NBA’s bubble, it was just another day.

“I think it feels a whole lot different [from past years],” head coach Nick Nurse admitted before the game. “It feels the same as Game 1 and 2.”

They changed locker rooms and switched benches. There were Nets logos and virtual Brooklyn fans on the screens surrounding the court. But they didn’t have to deal with airports or travel time. They didn’t have to pack or unpack a bag. The arena environment wasn’t hostile and, in this Game 3, there was no momentum shift.

With a 117-92 victory over Brooklyn on Friday – their second wire-to-wire win in three games – the Raptors took their first 3-0 playoff series lead in franchise history.

“It’s definitely different,” Fred VanVleet said afterwards. “To be honest, I can’t really tell because we’ve been here long enough that we’re adjusted to the situation we’re in. Comparing it to last year and the previous years I’ve been in the playoffs, it’s an extremely different environment. I can’t say if it’s better or worse. We’re 3-0 right now so obviously it’s going well for us.”

The Raptors arrived in the Disney bubble six weeks ago and have been in Florida, away from their friends and family, for almost two months – longer than any other club. If their strong showing in Round 1 is any indication, they should be there a while longer.

It hasn’t fazed them at all, though. They’ve gone 10-1 since the restart and can sweep their way through the first round – which would also be a first for the franchise – with another win on Sunday.

It’s the sense of urgency and the level of commitment from their best players that have allowed them to find success in these adverse conditions, and they proved that again on Friday.

With the Nets reeling following a demoralizing Game 2 loss – in which they led for all but nine minutes – and after losing sharpshooter Joe Harris, who had to leave the bubble due to a personal matter, Toronto showed them no mercy in Game 3. The Raptors took control right out of the gate, like they did in the series opener, and never let up.

Their defence was stifling, holding Brooklyn to 33 per cent shooting, and they were crisp offensively, recording a franchise playoff record 35 assists and hitting 18 of their 38 three-point attempts.

It was a win in more ways than one. Pascal Siakam, who had been quiet offensively, finally broke through with a 26-point performance – 14 of which came in the third quarter. After missing his first four shots, Serge Ibaka made his next eight and turned in his best game of the series, going for 20 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. Kyle Lowry attempted just seven shots but was brilliant defensively and posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with seven assists.

But, once again, it was VanVleet – the Raptors’ best player in the bubble – that was their driving force. The fourth-year point guard hit eight of his 13 shots and six of his 10 threes for 22 points. He’s averaging a team-leading 25.3 points and 8.7 assists and shooting 17-for-31 (55 per cent) from three-point range in the series.

He’s in one of those grooves right now – he even banked in a 60-foot heave to close the first half – but his impact extends beyond his hot shooting.

“In the halftime huddle as we were getting ready to go on the floor [VanVleet] grabbed the guys real quick and said, ‘Hey, they are coming out fast and hard and we got to come out faster [and harder]’,” said Nurse. “He’s coaching that part of the game a little bit. He wants to compete and he wants to keep everybody sharp and he wants to play to win at all times. The guy is a big-time winner, man.”

“I mean look, I’ve said it for four years now, and when I’m not shooting well it sounds like cliché garbage, and when I am it sounds like what I should be saying, but it’s the same confidence that I always have,” said the 26-year-old VanVleet. “The ball is just going in for me right now.”

“As long as I can [continue] to get looks off I feel good about the ball going in. So I don’t think about it from a standpoint [of] how you’re thinking about it, but I do know that I’m feeling good right now and obviously got to keep being consistent with that.”

With all due respect to the Nets, who are well-coached and have played hard in this series, despite coming in undermanned and overmatched from a talent standpoint, the degree of difficulty is about to go up significantly. The Celtics are also making quick work of their first-round series with Philadelphia, setting up an intriguing second-round matchup between Boston and Toronto.

The Raptors have gotten everything they’ve needed to from this series. They haven’t taken their opponent lightly or waited until late in games to flip the switch. From start to finish, they’ve been all business. They’ve executed on both ends of the floor and gotten standout performances from everybody in their rotation.

They’ve got Brooklyn on the ropes. Don’t expect them to pull any punches now.

“We play to win,” VanVleet said. “You play your big guns early and you try to get it over with. The purpose of going 3-0 is so you can go 4-0.”

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Jays reliever Green and Canadian slugger O’Neill nominated for comeback player award

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NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.

Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.

The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.

Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.

The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.

O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.

After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Panthers’ Reinhart named NHL first star after posting nine points over four games

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NEW YORK – Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after leading all players with nine points over four games last week.

Reinhart had four goals, five assists and a plus-seven rating to help the Stanley Cup champions post a 3-0-1 record on the week and move into first place in the Atlantic Division.

New York Rangers left-winger Artemi Panarin took the second star and Minnesota Wild goaltenderFilip Gustavsson was the third star.

Panarin had eight points (4-4) over three games.

Gustavsson became the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and had a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage over a pair of victories.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Duke’s Cooper Flagg makes preseason AP All-America team as ACC, Big 12, SEC each place 2 players

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Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina‘s RJ Davis looked into the possibility of leaving for the NBA before deciding to return for another college season.

Their decisions helped their teams earn top-10 rankings in the AP Top 25 and earned both players some preseason honors, too.

Sears was a near-unanimous selection for The Associated Press preseason All-America men’s basketball team released Monday, earning all but one vote from a 55-person national media panel. Davis was right behind him, nabbing 51 votes.

They were joined by Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Auburn forward Johni Broome, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flagg tied for the final spot, creating a six-man team that includes only the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.

Alabama twin bill

Sears was a key cog in the Crimson Tide’s first trip to the Final Four a year ago, orchestrating one of college basketball’s highest-scoring teams.

The 6-foot-1 guard was named a second-team AP All-America after averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He was the first Division I player in 31 years to have 795 points, 150 rebounds, 145 assists and 95 three-pointers in a single season while breaking the Alabama single-season record with 26 games with at least 20 points.

Sears worked out for NBA scouts during the offseason before deciding to return to Alabama, earning the Crimson Tide a No. 2 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25.

“I saw the team that we had and I wanted to be a part of it, and bring home Alabama’s first national championship in basketball,” Sears said.

Across the state at rival Auburn, Broome made a quick decision about his future, announcing in April that he would be back for a fifth season.

The 6-10 forward was a third-team AP All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting nearly 55% from the floor. With an eye on an NBA future, Broome worked hard on his perimeter shooting during the offseason and his return earned Auburn a No. 11 preseason ranking.

“My main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship, to make it as far as I can in March Madness,” Broome said. “When a team shines, everyone shines individually.”

Along Tobacco Road

Like Sears, Davis has similar aspirations after opting to return for his fifth season at North Carolina.

The 6-foot guard was an AP All-American last season and the ACC player of the year after averaging 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists on a team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Davis enters this year within reach of former North Carolina big man Tyler Hansbrough’s all-time ACC scoring record.

“I know there’s more work to be done,” Davis said. “I know my jersey’s not going up until I leave. So there’s some more records to break and some more work to be done. I’m satisfied but I’m not satisfied, if that makes sense.”

Up the road at Duke, Flagg was the only underclassman on the preseason All-America team after arriving with tons of hype. The 6-9 swingman was the No. 1-rated high school recruit out of Newport, Maine and has been projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.

Flagg has the skills of a guard, but can also play inside and has worked hard on his perimeter shooting, giving him the potential to be one of college basketball’s most versatile players. He’s part of a stellar recruiting class that has No. 7 Duke eyeing a deep March run.

Big 12 duo

Dickinson was the biggest move in the transfer portal last spring after leaving Michigan for Kansas. The 7-2 center lived up to the billing, averaging 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while leading the Jayhawks back to the NCAA Tournament.

With Dickinson’s return and an influx of talented transfers, Kansas is ranked No. 1 going into the season that begins Nov. 4.

Love’s decision to return for a second season at No. 10 Arizona has ratcheted up expectations in the desert for the Big 12 rival of Kansas.

The athletic 6-4 guard had a high-scoring career at North Carolina and continued it after transferring to Arizona last season. He was the Pac-12 player of the year and a third-team All-American after averaging 18 points per game and making 92 3-pointers.

Love tested the NBA waters this summer before deciding to return.

“He’s had a very successful college career thus far,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “He’s kind of this last generation of player that’s going to get better with this extra year, and so I just encourage him to take advantage of it.”

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