BROOKLYN - If you subscribe to the concept of momentum, theres reason to be concerned about the Raptors chances going into Sundays series deciding Game 7. The shift began amid Wednesdays fourth-quarter meltdown, a 44-point browbeating, and carried over to Fridays Game 6. Facing elimination on their home court, a desperate Nets team jumped out to a 34-19 lead after 12 minutes and the Raptors - dazed and confused - never recovered, trailing for the duration. So how crucial is momentum at this time of year? "If you look at the series, the way its gone, its been like a roller coaster the whole time," Dwane Casey said following his teams 97-83 loss in Brooklyn, forcing a Game 7 on Sunday afternoon, tipping off at 1:00 PM from the Air Canada Centre. "Every game has been different." And that was the extent of Caseys post-game assembly. Questions about momentum, clearly favouring their surging opponents. Questions regarding experience, also favouring the veteran Nets. The Raptors were being written off before departing Brooklyn. "To listen to some of this, we may as well not play Game 7," said an agitated Casey. "Every game is different and I know our team will bounce back." For a brief, fleeting moment, Caseys team played the unfamiliar role of favourites, up 3-2 in the series, and it wasnt a good look for them. From the moment Rudy Gay was traded theyve fancied themselves underdogs. Its what brought them together, its what motivates them. Without that built-in adversity, they were unrecognizable. The Nets opened the game with the fight you would expect from a team on the ropes and for whatever reason, Toronto was unable to match it. The Raptors were flat offensively and showed little-to-no resistance on defence. Brooklyn outscored the Raptors 22-4 in the paint, out-rebounded them 14-4 and shot an impressive 68 per cent from the field. They moved the ball, got in the lane at will and controlled the tempo of the game from the jump, while the Raptors could barely get into their offensive sets. "It just comes down to who wants it more," DeMar DeRozan had said the day prior. On Friday it was all Brooklyn. "We didnt really realize we had Brooklyn against the wall and we didnt take advantage of it like we should," said DeRozan after leading the team with 28 points, no one else scored more than Kyle Lowrys 11. "We should have known they were going to come out throwing haymakers and we werent ready for it until the second half." "We just didnt come out with the competitive nature that we needed tonight," Lowry added. "They did an unbelievable job of forcing their will on the game tonight, but we have to find a way to match that intensity." In taking control of the series, Toronto had finally dodged the dreaded inexperience narrative that theyve been trying to shake since they drew the Nets but here it is, rearing its head once again. This was a scenario Casey had considered, one he feared. "I was concerned about what would happen tonight," the Raptors coach admitted. "[In] any Game 6, a team is going to come out with a desperate mindset. With this team, they built to win a championship this year, and theyre going to come out and give you their best shot. [I] knew that coming in and tried to warn our team. Guys who havent been in Game 6 before, its one of the toughest things to do." "Again, experience is the best teacher. Now were going into Game 7, its our first time at that. Luckily we have it at home." Yes, they will play Sundays elimination game in the friendly confines of their home gym, in front of a fan base that has been exceptionally supportive throughout their playoff run. That may be the only tangible reason to like their odds. As a franchise, the Raptors have only participated in one Game 7, the infamous day of Vince Carters graduation and missed fadeaway back in 2001. They have never hosted a deciding playoff game at the Air Canada Centre. With Portlands win over Houston, the Raptors now have the NBAs longest active streak without a playoff series victory. None of Torontos starters have played in a Game 7 while Paul Pierce alone has appeared in eight, Kevin Garnett in six and Joe Johnson in four. And then theres the momentum, if you believe in such things. The Raptors say they dont buy into momentum. The Nets, however, are counting on it. "I think we just need to take this momentum from this game into the next," said Nets forward Andray Blatche, who guaranteed a victory on Wednesday and did the same for Game 7. "I think our momentum will carry over. I think we found a recipe in getting a win on defence and offence and controlling the paint." So here they are. After all this time - two weeks, six games, broken shot clocks, a lint-free global ambassador and an F-bomb dropping general manager - the division-winning Toronto Raptors are right back where they started. Theyre a young, inexperienced team in over their heads, right? Maybe. But if nothing else, theyre back in their comfort zone. Theyre going to be overlooked, theyre going to be the underdogs. So, count them out at your own risk. "We believe in ourselves," Patrick Patterson insisted. "Everyone in this locker room believes in ourselves. Weve believed in ourselves all year long. For us to have any doubt in our minds right now is unacceptable. Its not like we cant beat them. Weve beat them before. Weve done it in the regular season [and] weve done it in the playoffs." "Now we know its win or go home," DeRozan said. "Everything is on the line now. Either we step up and we play with a force from the jump ball to the end of the game, or well be going home the next day." 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Griffin scored 13 of his 31 points in the final 7:05 and Dudley got 11 of his 20 points in the third quarter, leading the defending Pacific Division champions to a 112-85 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. "Dud is a shooter.The Ohio State Buckeyes are the Rodney Dangerfield of the college football landscape - they get no respect. They own the longest winning streak in the country at 18 games, and have yet to lose a game under head coach Urban Meyer. Despite this, it appears OSU is on the outside looking in when it comes to contenders for a spot in the BCS National Championship. They sit fourth in the Associated Press poll behind Alabama, Oregon and Clemson. A win this weekend by Florida State would knock Clemson from the Top 3, but in all likelihood result in the Seminoles taking their position. When the first BCS rankings are released on Oct. 20, Ohio State could slide even further due to their poor strength of schedule. In the NCAA, your opponents are your worst enemies until the final whistle blows. At that point get your pom poms out and start cheering. Every win they accrue boosts your standing, and every loss they suffer makes your result less impressive. Last week Ohio State was on their bye, and still came away as losers when both Northwestern and Michigan lost. They havent even played Michigan yet, but they needed that game to a battle of two top ranked teams to give them a chance and thatll no longer be the case. The current conference rankings in some order have the SEC, Pac 12, ACC and Big 12 in some order. The BIG 10s inability to crack that quartet is the main reason for the Buckeyes dilemma. Any perfect teams from those conferences will get an invite to the big game before a BIG 10 champion, even if they dont have a loss. OSU didnt schedule any tough out of conference opponents and their BIG 10 slate doesnt offer any substance. Even wins over Wisconsin, Northwestern and Michigan mean little if none of those teams finish the season ranked. Ohio State has the sixth best offence in the country and the 24th ranked defence. But without some help from their competitors theyll continue to be saddled alongside Louisville as the teams who couldve been great, had they played some real competition. And thats the shame, with Urban Meyer on the sidelines coaching top end talent in QB Braxton Miller, RB Carlos Hyde, LB Ryan Shazier andd CB Bradley Roby the Buckeyes might be the best team in the country but we may never get a chance to find out.dddddddddddd One interesting thing that could work in their favor is last years suspension from the post-season. Having not played in a bowl game last season, there is a building curiosity for what they may be capable of. Last year they likely would have faced Notre Dame in the National Championship had they been eligible. A second straight season with a 0 in the loss column may sway some voters but the fact of the matter is, Ohio State not only needs some upsets to happen at the top of the rankings, but they need their fellow BIG 10 teams to step up and win some games. Up next for the Buckeyes is Iowa at the Horseshoe - another match up that has OSU as three TD favourites. Other notes from around the NCAA: - Oregon beat Washington by three touchdowns cementing their spot as the Pac-12 elite, at least until their showdown with Stanford. The win over the Huskies makes it 10 straight years with a win against Washington. - Utah got their programs first win over a Top 5 program when they upended Stanford. The star of the game was RB Bubba Poole who had 186 combined yards. - Florida lost to LSU in what looked like a classic SEC matchup. One of the coolest stats of the season as we reach the midway point...The Gators have yet to give up a passing touchdown. - UCLA and Cal both like to spread the ball around but their contest took sharing to a whole new level. Twenty-one different players recorded a reception in the Bruins 37-10 win. - Penn State and Michigan played the game of the season to this point needed four overtimes to settle things. The Nittany Lions win was the first four-OT game for either program. - Two streaks continued when Northern Illinois squeaked past Akron 27-20. The Huskies extended their NCAA best home winning streak to 23 games. As for the Zips, they lost their 30th straight on the road. - Ole Miss and Texas A & M combined for 1,049 yards in their see-saw affair which included 41 points in the fourth quarter alone. Johnny Manziel suffered a knee injury, and was "held" to 470 total yards and two touchdowns. 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