tournaments and controversial roster pick Chris Kunitz sealed t

TORONTO - Its been 13 years since the Raptors played in their last and only Game 7, by all accounts the biggest game in franchise history to this point. Philadelphia-native Kyle Lowry remembers it well. "Hell of a game," recalled Lowry, who was a 15-year-old high schooler when he watched the epic battle between Vince Carter and Allen Iverson, culminating in Carters missed jumper and Torontos Game 7 loss in 2001. "I was a fan back then, of the other team. But it was a great game, a great game." A year earlier, DeMar DeRozan - 10 at the time, growing up in Southern Los Angeles - watched his favourite team, the Lakers, overcome a 15-point deficit to knock off the Trailblazers in the deciding game of the 2000 Conference Finals. To this day, it is still his most memorable Game 7 moment. "I remember watching it," said the Raptors all-star guard. "Even then I remember saying, I wish I was playing in a moment like that, because it just seemed fun, especially when youre doing something you love to do. Thats the highest level of basketball you could play in, man." On Sunday afternoon theyll have the opportunity to write their own story when Toronto hosts the Brooklyn Nets in the finale of their opening-round series. You can catch all of the action live on TSN, TSN GO and TSN Radio 1050 with pre-game coverage kicking off at 12:30pm et/9:30am pt with Rod Black and Leo Rautins on TSN and with Jim Tatti, Duane Watson, Gareth Wheeler and Josh Lewenberg on a special two-hour edition of Countdown to Tip-off at 11:00 AM on TSN 1050. Tatti, Watson, Wheeler and Lewenberg will return with an extended post-game show following the game. TSN.cas coverage includes in-game highlights and live streaming of the fan festivities at Maple Leaf Square during the game as well as the post-game news conferences. "Honestly, this is what you live for, man," said DeRozan, the Raptors leading scorer, averaging 24.8 points in his first career playoff series. "To play and be in moments like this, because they last forever. Memories like that are going to last way after Im finished playing so youve definitely got to take advantage of it and understand youve got to go out there and play youre A-game." The Raptors, up 3-2 going into Game 6, failed to close out the series in Brooklyn Friday after the Nets got off to a commanding start, earning a wire-to-wire 97-83 win in the face of elimination. The two teams have gone blow for blow all season long, splitting their 10 meetings. In 40 quarters, 480 minutes, the Raptors have scored just one point more than the opposing Nets. Now, itll come down to one final game, four quarters, 48 minutes between two evenly matched foes with very different backstories. Toronto players have made just seven appearances in Game 7s, losing all seven, all of them on the road. Meanwhile, the Nets have 27 games of experience in this situation. Paul Pierce alone has played in more Game 7s than the Raptors roster. Lowry, the only Raptors starter to play in a Game 7, and his Houston Rockets were dismantled in the Western Conference Semifinals, losing to the Lakers by 19 points in 2009. "We got the s--- beat out of us," he said of his lone Game 7 experience. Greivis Vasquez, a rookie with the Grizzlies in 2011, lost by 15 in Oklahoma City during the final game of the semis. Chuck Hayes and John Salmons both have a couple Game 7 defeats on their resume, Tyler Hansbrough has one. To say they have something to prove is probably an understatement. "This game will go down in memory or in history," said the veteran Hayes. "It could be one of your great performances, a so-so performance but people will always remember a Game 7. So how do you want to be remembered?" The Nets, on the other hand, were built for this moment. They are the most expensive NBA team ever assembled, a roster loaded with perennial all-stars and future hall of famers. As such, the pressure is on them to deliver. "We aint got no 100 million, whatever payroll they got," said DeRozan. "Hey, thats all on them. We understand what we have to do and were going to go out there wanting it. At the end of the day they have more to lose than us." The spotlight is fixated on them and they know it. After guaranteeing a victory ahead of Game 6, Nets forward Andray Blatche had no problem doubling down. "We guarantee it," Blatche said after Fridays win. "Were gonna go there, take care of business and go to Miami." Although the Raptors have carried themselves with a quiet confidence throughout the series, refusing to get caught up in an extra curricular war of words, they did not take kindly to Blatches pre-game acceptance speech. "I dont know who does he think he is," said Vasquez, asked about Blatches comments after Saturday afternoon practice at the Air Canada Centre. "Hes not [Kevin Garnett] or Paul Pierce or Jason Kidd. Were not going to listen to his nonsense. He gotta earn that, and he hasnt yet." "I dont care what he said," DeRozan added. "He can say what he wants, honestly. He can go out there and say hes going to hit the lottery tomorrow, I could give a hell." That animosity - natural in any long playoff series - has been building for over two weeks and will come to a head Sunday. All season long, the Raptors and their mix of youth and discarded veterans have been an unlikely success story. On Sunday theyll all have a couple things in common. From one end of the bench to the other, theyll all be playing the most important game of the careers, looking to accomplish something none of them have before, striving to move on and continue to defy the odds. "These are lifetime moments," Lowry said. "Game 7 is Game 7, no matter what round its in, its Game 7. Its 3-3, win or go home. Either youre going to the Bahamas or youre going to the second round." Bill Lee Jersey . Perhaps as important, shes sending a message to 17-year-old gold medal favourite Sara Takanashi of Japan. Iraschko-Stolz relegated Takanashi, who has 10 World Cup victories this season, to second place in two of three training jumps Saturday. Rick Porcello Jersey . -- Zach Johnson asked his short-iron approach on the par-4 18th to "Do something right, baby. http://www.theredsoxteamshop.com/Red-Sox-Jimmie-Foxx-Kids-Jersey/ . "I wasnt waving the pom-poms to be involved with it to start with," Carlyle said after a 5-2 win over Carolina on Sunday night. "Its been a trying time. "Specifically we havent played as well as wed like to hang our hat on. Pedro Martinez Jersey . Huntington doesnt want to help run the club unless Hurdle is in the dugout. The combination thats returned the franchise to respectability will remain intact for years to come. Custom Boston Red Sox Jerseys . Bouchard went down to a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Svitolina in her opening match at the Sony Open on Friday. Bouchard got the rivalry going two years ago when she won the junior Wimbledon title over Svitolina. SOCHI, Russia -- Team Canadas best players brought their best game and left with gold. On the worlds biggest stage, Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby made good on their strong tournaments and controversial roster pick Chris Kunitz sealed the victory as Canada won its second straight Olympic gold medal in mens hockey with a 3-0 win over Sweden on Sunday. Canada did not trail at any point in the final or over the course of the entire tournament and finished as the first undefeated gold medallist since the Soviet Union in 1984 in Sarajevo, beating Norway, Austria, Finland, Latvia, the United States and Sweden along the way. Until Sunday, Toews and Crosby were two of Canadas best players through the first five games but did not have a goal to show for it. Canadian coach Mike Babcock brushed off concerns about a lack of offence from his forwards, figuring they would come but hoping the stars wouldnt "run out of time." Toews, who opened the scoring with a deflection in the first period, and Crosby, who beat Henrik Lundqvist on a breakaway in the second, delivered just in time. Putting up two goals meant Sweden would have had to score as many goals in the third period as Canada gave up in its first five games of the Olympics. That defensive dominance continued against Sweden, which was without first-line centre Nicklas Backstrom, a late scratch. NHL stars accustomed to more offensive roles continued to display the kind of hard-working defensive intensity Babcock needed out of them, limiting Swedens scoring chances in the process. Goaltender Carey Price made 24 saves for his second straight shutout to cap off his impressive tournament in which he allowed just three goals in five starts. By beating Sweden, Canada became the first back-to-back gold-medal winner since the NHL began sending its players in 1998. It was the first time Canada won gold in two straight Games since 1948 and 1952. And this didnt take a fortunate bounce Quality chances came fast and furious in the games first few minutes. Crosby generated the first one 57 seconds in when he batted the puck down and found Patrice Bergeron for a shot from between the circles that Lundqvist got in front of. Canadas Jamie Benn and Swedens Niklas Kronwall traded shots before Bergeron picked off a pass from Johnny Oduya three minutes in and shot it right into Lundqvist. Swedens best chance of the first period was a minute later, when Gustav Nyquists shot from close range hit the left post behind Price. Canadas starter looked behind him to see the puck inches from the goal line before covering it up. Bergeron continued his tremendous start by shooting off the shaft of Lundqvists stick and hitting the post 11 minutes in. That helped Canada turn the tide after being on the receiving end for a handful of shifts. It was the line of Patrick Marleau, Jeff Carter and Toews that has been together the longest thaat got Canada on the board at the 12:55 mark.dddddddddddd Carter skated down the right wing almost to the goal-line and found Toews streaking to the net. Able to keep his stick free from Patrik Berglund, Toews got it on the puck and deflected it off the inside of Lundqvists right pad and in. With Martin St. Louis inserted onto the fourth line in place of Patrick Sharp, Canada generated a couple of scoring chances and got a power play after Matt Duchene drew a penalty on Swedish defenceman Jonathan Ericsson. Unable to score in those two minutes, Canada went on the kill late in the first into the second after a Kunitz high-sticking penalty and got the job done. Canada had the lions share of chances throughout the second period, save for a couple of opportunities by Loui Eriksson and Erik Karlsson, who came into the day tied for the tournament lead in scoring. Karlsson also made a good stick check on Crosby to thwart the captain in open ice. But Crosby wasnt going to be denied at the 15:43 mark, when he poked the puck away from Ericsson at Canadas blue-line and blew right by Alexander Steen to get a breakaway. Crosby had just enough time to think, go backhand and bank the puck off Lundqvists left pad an into the net. It didnt have the drama of Crosby beating Ryan Miller for the golden goal in Vancouver four years ago, but as he raised his arms in the air it looked like Canada couldnt be beaten on this day. Kunitz, who made the team because of his natural chemistry with Crosby, did it all by himself to provide Canada with breathing room. Kunitz took the puck away from Daniel Sedin, skated over the blue-line and beat Lundqvist clean at the 9:04 mark of the third period. Because Canada gave up just three goals all tournament, that set off quite the celebration on the bench. Eleven players, including backup goaltender Roberto Luongo, won gold for the second straight Olympics. Crosby, Toews, Rick Nash, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Marleau, Bergeron, Duncan Keith, Shea Weber and Drew Doughty got to celebrate twice. Some of the biggest contributors in getting Canada to the final came from newcomers, including Carter and Benn. But two of the three goal-scorers against Sweden -- Crosby and Toews -- were the same ones who scored to beat the United States in Vancouver in 2010. NOTES -- With Backstrom out, Sweden inserted defenceman Henrik Tallinder into the lineup because it did not have an extra forward. The Swedes were already without captain Henrik Zetterberg because of a herniated disk. ... Canada had no lineup surprises, scratching injured forward John Tavares and healthy defenceman P.K. Subban along with third goaltender Mike Smith. ... Brad Jacobs gold-medal-winning mens curling team was among the 11,076 in attendance at Bolshoy Ice Dome and interviewed on the video screen at the first intermission. 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