TORONTO - Moments after the Raptors storybook regular season came to an end, losing a meaningless game to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden Wednesday, Kyle Lowry addressed his teammates in the visitors dressing room. Jerseys China Cheap . Turning the page, the focus immediately shifted to the challenge that lay ahead of them, their most arduous test yet and one many of them have only dreamt of, heard about or watched on television. With the battle-tested Brooklyn Nets looming - their first playoff game set to tip-off early Saturday afternoon - the Raptors are leaning on their veterans, on Lowry, his experience and leadership. What did he say to rally his troops ahead of the crucial preparation stage that precedes a postseason series? "Thats for me and my guys to know," he said, chatty as ever. "Kyle came in here, hes been in the playoffs, and told us it starts [Thursday]," DeMar DeRozan clarified, offering a little more insight. "[Thursday] morning, as soon as we come to work its going to start there - studying, understanding what they run, their tendencies." As youve probably heard by now, the Raptors are a young, inexperienced team. Theyve heard about too, its the narrative that drives this series. Lowry and Amir Johnson account for all 24 games of playoff experience in the Raptors starting lineup. Neither have been to the dance in five years, neither have ever started a postseason game. Meanwhile the Nets starters have played in 399 postseason games. They have six players who have logged more than twice as many playoff minutes as any Raptor. Theyll be reminded of it over and over again for two weeks and then, should they advance to round two, itll be revisited once again. They cant run from it, not until they prove its a non-factor, but give them credit for the effort. "I mean, it aint like its rocket science or nothing," said DeRozan, asked about making his playoff debut on Saturday. "Everybody keeps talking to me like, bringing it up like its rocket science or Ive got to know trigonometry or something. You just figure it out. You just go out there. Ive been playing this game long enough, Ive been in the league long enough, been in a lot of situations. So it shouldnt be hard." He has a point. Playoff basketball is still basketball, after all. The game is the same; its the stage that changes. The stakes that are higher and the room for error is narrowed. Some adjust to it better than others. "Everythings at stake so youve just got to be ready for everything," the all-star guard acknowledged. "I think Ive watched enough playoff basketball to see how physical it is and to see how things go. Even superstar players dont get calls out there. So Im conscious of it. Im not naive of anything. Now Im in a position to go through it myself." That heightened, more physically punishing brand of basketball has burned Raptors stars of the past. Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh all shot below 40 per cent in their first playoff series, with Carter barely breaking the 30 per cent barrier and scoring six points fewer than his average that season. "Its a different level," said Dwane Casey, who will be making his playoff debut as a head coach after winning a title as an assistant in Dallas. "Its a different level in intensity, more physicality, less fouls called. Youve got to play through it and thats one thing that theyll learn. The only way you can do that, though, is to go through it." "I dont want to overhype it to scare our guys. Its still basketball but guys will see the difference, theyll feel that as soon as they walk on the court." Along with DeRozan, sophomores Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross, as well as fourth-year forward Patrick Patterson are among the teams rotation players who have yet to experience playoff basketball. How big of a role does experience play in the postseason? Given the staggering discrepancy between the two teams, this series could solve that query as much or more than any other in recent memory. Theres no telling how Torontos players might react to the adjustments theyll have to make, both in terms of their mental approach and on-court toughness, but they wont have the luxury of a grace period, not against the team theyre up against. The Raptors cant afford to ease their way in, hosting games one and two at the Air Canada Centre - where they won 22 of their final 29 contests - before the series shifts to Brooklyns Barclays Center, a building the Nets have dominated in since Jan. 1. The most promising quality the Raptors players displayed following Thursday afternoons practice was fearlessness. Theyre not the least bit shaken by the Nets, their experience or the theory that they may have been at the top of Brooklyns postseason wish list. "I mean, were all in the same league, man," DeRozan said. "Honestly, thats how I look at it, man. Credit to them, they did what they did but we play against guys who are experienced all season, honestly." As DeRozan has pointed out, their young legs may also be beneficial against an older, slower club. Although they rank towards the bottom of the league in fast break points - just marginally ahead of the Nets - the Raptors have been able to get out and run against Brooklyn this season. However, the spaced out schedule - with their first four games spanning nine days - at least appears to favour the veteran Nets, who will get a chance to recharge their batteries following each contest, a concern Patterson expressed on Thursday. Torontos true advantage my lie in their size and strength up front, if they choose to utilize it. The Nets turned around their once disastrous season in part by featuring their small lineup, with two point guards in the backcourt and Paul Pierce at the four spot. Although closing out on Brooklyns shooters and defending Pierce on the perimeter presents a challenge in and of itself, they were ranked second to last in rebounding and the Raptors bested them on the boards by 19 this year. Kevin Garnett, who played in just two of the four meetings this season, is nearing his NBA swan song but is still a difference maker defensively and on the glass when hes on the court. The Raptors could force the issue by attacking the paint, putting pressure of Garnett and the Nets frontcourt, void of a true shot blocking presence. "We know who the match-ups are," Casey said. "Weve just got to take it and dissect it and take advantage of the things we have an advantage in, which is our speed, athleticism and our energy. Weve got to keep a fast tempo in the game." Football Jerseys China .ca! Hi Kerry, Im sure youve received many emails wondering what your take is on the Spezza goal that looked like Neil blatantly kicked it in while standing directly in the middle of the crease where, you know, usually a goalie is to make a save but couldnt be due to Neil being there! Thanks! Jon - Westfield, MA Jon: Lets first ask Henrik Lundqvist what he thought of the scoring of the Sens second goal with . Cheap Official NFL Jerseys . However, Therrien added that Galchenyuks status for next Wednesdays game against the Detroit Red Wings is questionable. Galchenyuk has been out since Jan. 6 with a broken right hand. http://www.cheapchinanfljerseysauthentic.com/ .Y. - DeMarre Carroll felt as though he couldnt miss in the second quarter as he outscored the Brooklyn Nets 14-13 all by himself.Huntsville, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - They didnt meet in the regular season, so Sam Houston State might be saying it won the de facto title game between the two Southland Conference co-champions Saturday. Oh yes, the Bearkats are even happier to be advancing in the FCS playoffs after they defeated Southeastern Louisiana, 21-17, in the first round. Sam Houston (9-4) will travel to third-seeded Jacksonville State (10-1), the Ohio Valley Conference champion, for a second-round showdown next Saturday. Sam Houston and Southeastern (9-4) tied for the Southland title with 7-1 records, but they didnt face each other in the 11-team conference. The Bearkats, under first-year coach K.C. Keeler, overcame four turnovers, playing well defensively in the second half and getting an important block of a Southeastern field goal attempt during the fourth quarter. The Lions were trying to extend a 17-14 lead, but Michael Wade blocked Ryan Adams 46-yard attempt with 8:37 left. The Bearkats then drove 59 yards in seven plays, going ahead 21-17 on Donovan Williams 5-yard run. Southeastern had three final drives, but one started at their 6-yard line and their final one from their 1. Williams also ran for a 1-yard touchdown and Jalen Overstreet scored from 3 yards out for Sam Houston, which trailed 10-0 at halftime. Southeastern quarterback Bryan Bennett, who wasnt 100 percent healthwise, ran for the Lions two touchdowns, but struggled to gain 181 yards on 17-for-48 passing, and was limited to 14 yards on 16 carries. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Fordham 44, Sacred Heart 22 New York, NY - Jack Coffey Field has been good to Fordham in recent years, but the Road to Frisco passes through top-seeded New Hampshire, and the Rams feel up to the task after an impressive start to the FCS playoffs Saturday.. Mike Nebrich threw for 421 yards and four touchdowns as Patriot League champion Fordham passed by Sacred Heart in the first round for the second straight year, this time by a 44-22 score. Fordham (11-2) will head to Durham next Saturday to face New Hampshire (10-1), the nations No. 1-ranked team, in the second round. It wont be the same as playing at home, where the Rams have won 10 straight games and 17 of their last 18. But the Rams appear ready for the challenge. Nebrich, who completed 29-of-50 pass attempts with two interceptions, threw two touchdowns each to Brian Wetzel (eight receptions, 166 yards) and Tebucky Jones Jr. (eight receptions, 139 yards). Fordham took command of the game by scoring on its final play of the second quarter - Wetzels 14-yard reception with nine seconds left to make it 24-16 - and its first play of the third quarter - Jones 97-yard reception at the 11:45 mark to make it 31-16. The Rams outgained Sacred Heart 511 yards to 314. Chase Edmonds rushed for 91 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown. RJ Noel threw two touchdown passes to Tyle Dube for Sacred Heart (9-3), a co- champion out of the Northeast Conference, but was intercepted twice by All- Patriot League cornerback Ian Williams. Sean Bell rushed for 112 yards on 15 carries and Keshaudas Spence scored on a 22-yard run in the loss. Fordham won last years first-round matchup, 37-27. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Richmond 46, Morgan State 24 Richmond, VA - Richmond had won a playoff game already, so there was no stopping the Spiders and quarterback Michael Strauss when the actual FCS postseason began Saturday. Strauss threw four touchdowns to power Richmond to a 46-24 win over Morgann State in the first round. China NFL Jerseys Cheap. The Spiders (9-4) will travel to seventh-seeded Coastal Carolina (11-1) next Saturday for a second-round game. Coach Danny Roccos team basically won a playoff game last weekend at William & Mary. The winner of that game was going to be the fourth and final playoff team out of CAA Football, and the Spiders won going away, 34-20. They rolled the momentum right into their game against Morgan State (7-6), jumping to a 22-0 lead after the first quarter. Strauss capped the games first drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Diggs and Seth Fisher scored on two runs. Diggs (eight receptions, 132 yards) ended the first-half scoring with another touchdown reception - an 11-yarder with 20 seconds left in the second quarter - giving Richmond a 29-10 halftime lead. Strauss completed 22-of-32 pass attempts for 272 yards and one interception. He also threw touchdowns to Rashad Ponder and Fisher. Richmond has struggled with turnovers in its losses, but gained a 4-2 advantage in turnover margin, intercepting Morgan State quarterback Moses Skillon three times and forcing him into a fumble. Skillon rushed for a touchdown and threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns. Herb Walker Jr. carried the ball 21 times for 120 yards for the Bears, who made their first-ever playoff appearance. They earned the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferences automatic bid off a tiebreaker between five first-place teams. MEAC teams have lost in the playoffs every year since 1999. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Indiana State 36, Eastern Kentucky 16 Richmond, KY - Indiana State played in its first FCS playoff game since 1984 on Saturday. Maybe the Sycamores just needed some extra time to warm up. After surrendering the first 16 points to Eastern Kentucky, Indiana State scored the final 36 points for a 36-16 first-round victory over the Colonels. The Sycamores (8-5), one of a record-tying five playoffs teams from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, will visit eighth-seeded Chattanooga (9-3), the Southern Conference champion, for a second-round game next Saturday. Senior quarterback Mike Perish led Indiana States comeback win, completing a school-record 41 passes in 57 attempts for 407 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. He now has 6,545 passing yards for his career, also a school record, and his 20 touchdown passes this season tied Ronnie Fouchs school record set in 2010. Indiana State was nearly shut out in the first half, but Perish connected with Robert Tonyan for a 4-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left, pulling the Sycamores within 16-7 at halftime. They then ran off 24 points in the third quarter. Eric Heidorn kicked a 47-yard field goal, Perish fired touchdown passes to Kyani Harris (57 yards) and Gary Owens (38), and safety Mark Sewall returned an interception of EKUs Bennie Conney for a 48-yard touchdown. DyShawn Mobley scored on an 18-yard run and finished with 96 yards on 22 carries, and Andrew Lloyd kicked three field goals as the Colonels (9-4) from the Ohio Valley Conference built their 16-0 lead in the first half. The playoff win was Indiana States second in three seasons of playoff appearances. EKU fell to 16-19 all-time in 21 playoff appearances. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, Nov. 29 All Times ET FCS Playoff First Round San Diego at Montana, 4 p.m. Liberty at James Madison, 4 p.m. South Dakota State at Montana State, 4 p.m. Stephen F. Austin at Northern Iowa, 8 p.m. ' ' '