Here are five thoughts on the Eastern Conference first-round series between the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets following Game 5, including the play of Kyle Lowry, Joe Johnson, Kevin Garnet and Paul Pierce, as well as head coaches Jason Kidd and Dwane Casey. 1. KYLE LOWRY: Brilliant in Game 5. Watching him Wednesday night brought me back to watching Allen Iverson torch the Raptors in the 2001 playoffs. Considering Lowry is a Philly guy and one of the guys he looked up to as a young player was Iverson, I couldnt help myself but to draw comparisons. A totally different players but one quality that truly makes them alike is that they are both incredible competitors. Not the size of the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog. In the last five quarters of play (Game 4, 4th quarter and Game 5), other than the magic of Vince Carter, I cant recall a better stretch of play ever from a Raptor on so many fronts. Enjoy it - Im mesmerized by it. 2. JOE JOHNSON: Give him credit. Major bounce-back in the second half of Game 5. He was close to unstoppable. Raptors did everything they could to contain/control him and he was that much better. Im sure a significant focus of game planning for Game 6 will centre on tightening the screws on both the individual coverages associated with him and the collective scheme based upon the help you have to give his defender. He is an absolute load. Im so impressed by his talent. 3. RAPTORS FIRST THREE QUARTERS VS. 4TH QUARTER: It looked like five guys stole Raptors shirts early in the 4th and tried to imitate the real guys. In the first three quarters we saw the Raptors at their truly best - ball movement, defensive energy, effort, discipline and most importantly, a collective will and confidence that the crowd fed off of. In the fourth, we saw a team that cruised and thought it would be easy and let up with its focus. Very fortunate that they hung on, yet when I reflect on it for the majority of the game they were far better, which is good. Now its about learning from that lesson and growing. Remember back in early December at Golden State? It was the Raptors biggest collapse in franchise history and lost to the Warriors. This time, a huge collapse as well - the difference - they won and won on a much more meaningful stage than the stage back in Oakland. Speaking of Oakland, the late Al Davis (Oakland Raiders) would say just win, baby! They did. One to go but it wont be easy. Their competition has lots to play for; it should be a major challenge and lots of fun to watch. 4. KG AND PAUL PIERCE: They were spectators Wednesday night in the 4th quarter and Im sure both men will be ready to go Friday night in response to that. I dont think there have been many times in either guys career that they sat and watched at crunch time. Im sure well see two angry/ornery guys in Brooklyn talking smack and challenging their teammates and the crowd to be at optimal level. Lots of folks piling on KG these days. I respect what hes done in his career. Is he the player he once was? No, but his effort and will to win are still there all the time. Pierce - Hes still got a lot left and his matchup at the four spot is still a tough cover for the Raptors, yet I do like that the Raps are now making him guard his guy and attacking him. Fully expect both guys to come out firing guns blazing. Be prepared. 5. JASON KIDD AND DWANE CASEY: Both coaches, Im sure, are working on their teams collective psyche as we enter Game 6. Kidd challenged his team before Game 5 to be much better in the 4th quarter after being outplayed by the Raps in Games 3 and 4 in the defining stanza. They were awesome in the 4th Wednesday night… the other three quarters, not so impressive. Im sure hes pushing momentum and carryover. Coach Casey will hammer the fact that you must sustain and play every possession at the max and learn/build on the fact that you won, yet have to respect the little details of the game. You also sell that momentum in a series that lasts only as long as you allow it to or make it happen. As much as the Nets want to sell that theyre now going to pick up where they left off, youve got to sell that the score always takes care of itself if you do the right things. You concentrate on doing the right things" each possession and youll find a way in Game 6, or if necessary, Game 7. Wont be easy to put Brooklyn away Friday but it can be done. Dictate the tone and personality of Game 6 right at the start. Winning/losing - thats too much sometimes to focus on. Dive into the details of what it takes to succeed and youll handle the pressure of a road game better. 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Ibrahimovic put PSG ahead when he got in front of his marker to neatly flick in Lucass cross in the 59th minute. New signing Yohan Cabaye came on as a second-half substitute and headed Ezequiel Lavezzis cross against the post in the 87th. Moments later, Lucas set up another goal from the right when fellow countryman Alex turned in his corner with a strikers finish.Villanova, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Coming off just their second loss of the season, the fourth-ranked Villanova Wildcats get back to action on Sunday night when they play host to the Creighton Bluejays in a Big East Conference clash at The Pavilion. Creighton has largely disappointed this season, as it enters this contest sporting a 9-11 overall record, which includes an 0-7 mark in Big East play. The Bluejays have lost eight straight games, with the latest being a 64-61 decision at Butler this past Wednesday. Since the end of November, the squad has won only three games while losing 10. Creighton is just 1-6 in true road games. Villanova took a 17-1 record into its recent bout with rival Georgetown, and the Wildcats couldnt overcome a slow start by them and a hot start by the Hoyas as they dropped a 78-58 decision on the road. The 78 points put up by GU marked the highest allowance by Villanova this season, and the Hoyas are only the second team to shoot at least 50 percent from the field against the Wildcats. As a result, Villanova now find itself at 4-2 in conference as the Big East race heats up. Villanova leads the all-time series with Creighton, 5-2, but both victories for the Bluejays came last season by a staggering 49 combined points. They were the only two Big East losses suffered by the Wildcats during the regular season. Rick Kreklow scored 16 points off the bench for Creighton in its recent clash with Butler, but he received little help from his teammates as the Bluejays lost yet again, albeit by just three points. James Milliken was the only other player to reach double digits for Creighton, as he tallied 10 points. Devin Brooks was credited with 10 rebounds for the Bluejays, who shot 44.9 percent from the floor, went 7-of-18 from distance, and converted 10-of-13 free throws. Unfortunately, 19 turnovers offset a stellar defensive effort that saw Butler shoot only 33.8 percent from the field, missing 16 of its 20 3-point tries along the way. Creighton lost more than the game against Butler, as guard Isaiah Zierden suffered a season-ending knee injury for the second year in a row.dddddddddddd Zierden was netting 9.5 ppg while leading the team with 44 3-pointers, a .396 3-point shooting percentage, as well as 90 percent effort at the free-throw line. Austin Chatman is the only players averaging double figures for the Bluejays this season, but his 11 ppg doesnt exactly elicit fear in many opponents. Overall, Creighton is scoring 67.8 ppg while allowing 65.4 ppg, and the team, despite being one of the best in the country at the charity stripe (.750), is shooting just 41.7 percent from the field overall. Georgetown used a 17-0 run in the first half to put considerable distance between itself and Villanova, leading to a 20-point home win for the Hoyas. Ryan Arcidiacono nailed four 3-pointers en route to a team-high 16 points, while Josh Hart chipped in 10 points before fouling out as the only other player to reach double figures for the Wildcats, who shot just 34.1 percent from the floor while allowing their hosts to drain 51.1 percent of their total shots, including 6-of-12 out on the perimeter. The Cats suffered a 34-26 deficit on the glass, and they committed 17 turnovers which led to 24 points for the Hoyas. GU also logged favorable margins in both points in the paint (26-10) and bench points (31-15). Despite the poor showing last Monday in the nations capital, Villanova is one of the top teams in the country. It averages a solid 75.9 ppg while permitting only 61.5 ppg. The Wildcats outshoot the opposition in every area, connecting on 46.8 percent of their field goal attempts, which includes a 35.7 performance from beyond the arc, and they are also on the plus side of the ledger with regard to rebounding (+2.8) and turnover (+4.0) differential. Darrun Hilliard averages 12.8 ppg to lead a balanced attack for coach Jay Wrights club, and he is joined in double figures by three others. In addition. JayVaughn Pinkston (9.8 ppg) and Arcidiacono (9.2 ppg) are close to joining the ranks. 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