Here are five thoughts on the Toronto Raptors seven-game loss to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Cheap Roshe Two For Sale . 1. JOE JOHNSON (Nets): If I had to pick the guy that was the MVP on this Series, No doubt in my mind it was him. Forget his numbers for a second which were impressive to say the least. It had more to do with his presence and the inability for the Raptors to find a viable/consistent solution to overcome his vast talents. Bottom line, hes a very difficult cover and his strength, post skills, passing ability, creativity off the bounce and distance shooting make him a fascinating and gifted offensive player. Give him credit, He took on all the challenges and made the adjustments and was the difference in this series.                  2. STATEMENT: Thanks again!  You - the fans have made a wonderful statement across the North American sports landscape and in the NBA community that Toronto and the country of Canada is a growing and vibrant hoops hotbed and will be heard from for generations to come. Cant tell you the impression its made on folks all across the NBA. Utterly remarkable to say the least. Great Opportunity for Raptors President and GM, Masai Ujiri, to now build from a position of strength in his retention and recruitment efforts as he formulates his vision for the long term success of the franchise. A step forward. Long way to go though - yet you can start to see the light.         3. KYLE LOWRY: No idea what will happen with him regarding his future with the Raptors. Im hopeful they can work something out. Ill say this though, the man has really impressed me this season. Every day he left everything out there on the floor for you and competed like few players ever have in a Raptors uniform. For that, we should be grateful and impressed at the same time. Hes been a joy to watch this season and an inspiration to so many young players that can learn from his sheer will and effort that you can overcome a whole lot if you give it your all. He came up short but the man is a winner. Fingers crossed it all comes together and hes back in Toronto.               4. MARCUS THORNTON (Nets): In a Game 7, many times you need that guy that just comes out of left field that gets you over the hump particularly when youre the road team. Give coach Jason Kidd credit, he played a great hunch and it paid off huge dividends for him. His perimeter shooting, creativity, rebounding and overall explosiveness were the edge the Nets sorely needed to pull off the road win in a deciding game. He was lousy in the early part of the series after playing quite well since being acquired from Sacramento but Coach Kidd showed renewed faith in him and was justly rewarded for it. Joe Johnson was the MVP but he was the difference.                         5. DWANE CASEY: Actions speak louder than words. Three years and each year his teams have gotten better and he has grown each year as a head coach. As good a coach as he is - and hes a very good one - hes an even better man. Class act. He did an outstanding job this year and when I reflect over the three year period he has been consistent and stayed true to his core beliefs which I truly respect. He led a team this year that had many limitations (as we could all plainly see in this Series) to 48 wins, an Atlantic Division title and came up a bit short to a much more experienced, talented and deeper Nets team. Yes - Were all bitterly disappointed in the loss of this series yet when you take time to reflect, this organization has a true leader who is bright, steady and wont be out-worked by anyone. When I evaluate a coach, I always point to year three as my barometer of where you truly judge them. Theyve had more than enough time to get things the way they want and now you want to see that vision unfold before you. He has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in my mind that hes more than deserving of being the head coach of the Raptors and when I evaluate him against his peers Im quite impressed. As a former coach, I think I have a pretty decent feel when I compare/contrast coaches strengths/weaknesses and when I look at coach Casey I see a man who has rolled up his sleeves, paid his dues and is truly a right fit for the task of the challenges that lie ahead for the organization. Hes a coachs coach and I can tell you flat out that the men in his profession not only truly like him but all respect him tremendously. Happy for his success. Good man. Good things do truly happen for good people. Nike Run Shoes Online . -- Andy Dorman and Kelyn Rowe scored in the second half to lead the New England Revolution to a 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Saturday night. Cheap Roshe Run . You can watch the game live on TSN2 and TSN Mobile TV at 9pm et/6pm pt. Jonathan Huberdeau and Quinton Howden are expected to make their debuts for Team Canada. CHICAGO -- Lloyd McClendon tried to remember each of the five relievers who pitched so well as Saturday afternoons game stretched into the early evening. The manager of the Seattle Mariners gave up after a brief moment. It was enough to know they each had a scoreless outing. Brad Miller hit an RBI double in the 14th inning and Fernando Rodney earned his AL-best 25th save, leading Seattle to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. "Each and every one of them came in, threw the ball extremely well," McClendon said of his bullpen, and then added with a chuckle, "I cant even remember who all pitched it was so long ago." Yoervis Medina, Charlie Furbush, Danny Farquhar, Tom Wilhelmsen (1-1) and Rodney combined for six innings of one-hit relief. Farquhar got five outs and Wilhelmsen pitched two innings. "Battle of the bullpens there, some good arms being run out, and we just kept fighting," Miller said. Michael Saunders reached on an infield single against Ronald Belisario (3-5) and swiped second before Miller hit a drive into the gap in left-centre for a ground-rule double. It was Millers first hit in six at-bats on the day. "A lot of character and a lot of grind today," Saunders said. Saunders and Logan Morrison had three hits apiece for Seattle, which has won five of six and 11 of 14 overall. Felix Hernandez pitched eight sharp innings to help the Mariners bounce back from Friday nights 7-1 loss in the series opener. Chicago managed only four hits while wasting another strong start by Jose Quintana, who struck out 10 in 7 2-3 innings. "When you play 14 innings and only get four hits obviously theyre doing something right," second baseman Gordon Beckham said. "Long day." The game was scoreless before the White Sox pushed across two runs in the eighth against Hernandez, who had gone 7-1 in his previous 10 starts. Conor Gillaspie had a leadoff triple and scored on Dayan Viciedos double. Tyler Flowers added a sacrifice fly. Quintana allowed four hits and walked one in 7 2-3 scoreless innings. The 10 strikeouts matched a season high for the left-hander, who is 2-0 with a sparkling 0.94 ERA in his last four starts. "I throw my pitches in the counnt, throw both sides, getting ahead in the count - it (becomes) more important inning by inning," Quintana said. Cheap Roshe one Online. "I keep going with that, its the best thing for long games for me." Chicago was in line for its second straight win against Seattle before the Mariners rallied in the ninth. Mike Zunino had a sacrifice fly against Zach Putnam before consecutive two-out singles by Morrison and Saunders produced the tying run. Morrisons grounder went off the glove of diving first baseman Jose Abreu and bounced past Beckham on the way to right field. Hernandez allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked one. The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner is 1-5 with a 4.50 ERA in nine career starts at the White Sox. "He did a great job today and kept us in the ballgame the entire way through," Saunders said. Hernandez and Quintana were locked in an impressive duel before the late scoring. Quintana struck out six while retiring his first 11 batters, including the side in the second. Robinson Cano had a two-out single for Seattles first baserunner in the fourth, but Quintana fanned Corey Hart to end the inning. Hernandez was just as dominant, retiring 11 in a row after Adam Eatons leadoff single in the first. He also set down 10 in a row in another impressive stretch. Hernandez got some help from his defence. James Jones crashed into wall in centre to rob Abreu of extra bases in the fourth, and left fielder Willie Bloomquist made a leaping grab on the warning track on Viciedos drive in the fifth. The White Sox had their own defensive gem in the 11th inning when Adam Eaton reached back to grab Morrisons leadoff drive while slamming into the wall in centre. NOTES: Quintana also had 10 strikeouts in a no-decision against Detroit on April 29. His career high is 11, set last July 4 against Baltimore. ... McClendon said LHP James Paxton threw "extremely well" during his bullpen session on Friday. Paxton is on the 60-day DL with a left lat dorsi muscle strain. ... OF Cole Gillespie, who designed for assignment by Seattle on Friday, was claimed off waivers by Toronto. ... Mariners RHP Taijuan Walker (1-0, 4.50 ERA) faces RHP Hector Noesi (2-6, 5.33 ERA) in the series finale on Sunday. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '