Paul Pierce of the Washington Wizards has cranked up the playoff intensity with his comments about how the Toronto Raptors lack “it”. He didn’t bother to define what “it” is, but in the world of smack-talking, that wasn’t necessary for him to achieve his aims. Pierce planted the seed of doubt in his opponents’ collective mind, and the tactic paid off. The Raps collapsed in overtime on Saturday; their spirited fourth-quarter comeback a waste.
Toronto now has a giant monkey on its back. A second loss at home would be hugely damaging to the team’s chances of moving on to the second round.