Raptors vs. Nets: 3 things you need to know

EAST
(1) IND vs. (8) ATL | (2) MIA vs. (7) CHA
(3) TOR vs. (6) BKN | (4) CHI vs. (5) WAS
WEST
(1) SAS vs. (8) DAL | (2) OKC vs. (7) MEM
(3) LAC vs. (6) GSW | (4) HOU vs. (5) POR

Terrence Ross got his wish as the Toronto Raptors, whose 48 wins this season set a franchise record, meet the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

It's been six years since Toronto had the privilege of witnessing playoff basketball, and if the four meetings this season between the two teams are any indication, the series will be one of the first round's most entertaining.

The Raptors host the Nets on Saturday afternoon to kick off this year's postseason action. Here are three things you need to know:

The series both teams wanted (sort of)

Parties from both franchises expressed a desire to face each other in the playoffs before the matchup became a certainty on the final day of the regular season.

On the Raptors' end, a direct Ross answered "I want Brooklyn" when asked what first-round matchup he wanted during an "Ask Me Anything" on Reddit. It seemed like an innocent answer, but Nets forward Andray Blatche clearly wasn't too happy about it and responded by saying, "Shit, you better be careful what tree you bark up. He better be careful."

Once the first-round matchup was confirmed on Wednesday, Blatche kept the beef cooking by stating, "Ross asked for this, so first of all they've got to back up their words."

Ross since clarified his response in conversation with the Toronto Sun, claiming he wanted to take on Brooklyn because he looked up to players like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett when he was younger.

But based on Brooklyn's lineup for their season finale against the Cleveland Cavaliers, it seems like the Nets wanted a first-round meeting against the Raptors just as badly.

Knowing that a loss would likely mean avoiding a first-round matchup with the Chicago Bulls, who eliminated Brooklyn in last year's playoffs, the Nets sat out all five of their starters and deployed the following lineup in their place:

Unsurprisingly, the Nets went on to lose 114-85, and Dwane Casey responded by warning Jason Kidd's team that "sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for."

Shots fired all over the place.

Kyle Lowry vs. Deron Williams

Of all the one-on-one matchups this series will showcase, none will be as decisive or as fun to watch as the one between points guards Kyle Lowry and Deron Williams.

Lowry, a borderline All-Star who is a serious candidate to make the All-NBA Third Team, matches up well against Williams, a three-time All-Star, in terms of strength and speed. However, while the Raptors' ninth-ranked defense have proven capable of defending the perimeter, the Nets' 19th-ranked defense have consistently struggled in that department throughout the season.

Add in the fact that Brooklyn rank 28th in defending spot ups, and Lowry, who is an elite spot-up shooter, looks to have the edge in the series.

Here's how the two point guards fared in the Raptors and Nets' four meetings this season:

Down to the wire

Few matchups in the Eastern Conference provided as much intensity during the regular season as the Raptors and Nets did. Three of their four meetings were decided by four points or fewer, with the franchises splitting the season series 2-2.

In their first clash in late November, before the Raptors unloaded Rudy Gay on the Sacramento Kings, the Nets held on for a 102-100 win after Amir Johnson missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

In their third contest at the end of January, another dramatic finish unfolded, this time at the Barclays Center. With the Raptors trailing by one and only 12 seconds remaining, Patrick "2Pat" Patterson stole Williams' inbound pass and proceeded to hit the game-winning shot with six seconds left on the clock.

In their fourth and final meeting of the season, a clutch three-ball from Pierce, who scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, gave the Nets a lead that the Raptors were unable to overcome in yet another close encounter.

We can only hope for more of this in the playoffs.

Schedule