Time for Raptors to nail a win against Nets

The Raptors head into the second game of their playoff series against the Nets in need of a win. They are down 0-1 in the series so far, a position that has not been good for them in the past.

First-game playoff series losses have not been good to Raptors over the years

Geoff Nixon CBC News Posted: Apr 22, 2014 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: April 22, 2014

DeMar DeRozan is seen reacting during the Toronto Raptors' Game 1 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday night. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

Toronto basketball fans know thatit's time for the Raptors to dig in against the Nets.

After taking a win in the first game of these playoffs, Brooklyn is one-quarter of the way to its first-round goal of taking down the Dinos.

The Raptors, on the other hand, still have four wins to rack up if they want to move on to the next round.

Their next chance will come Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre.

Here's a look back at what has happened to the Raptors in the past when they lost the first game in the first round.

Spoiler alert: When Toronto loses the first game in a playoff series, they tend not to win that series. Or at least that has been the case in four of their five previous first-round playoff appearances.

April 20-28, 2008

Keyon Dooling is seen moving past Jose Calderon during the game in which the Orlando Magic eliminated the Toronto Raptors from the playoffs, back on April 28, 2008. (John Raoux/Associated Press)

The Raptors lost 114-100 in the first game of their playoff series against the Magic, on April 20, 2008.

Two days later, Toronto lost again and found itself down 2-0 in a best-of-seven series.

Eight days after their loss in Game 1, the Raptors were done. On April 28, 2008, the Magic beat the Raptors 102-92. Orlando had eliminated them in five games.

April 21-May 4, 2007

Chris Bosh is seen during the May 4, 2007, game that saw the Nets -- who were still in New Jersey -- eliminate the Raptors from the playoffs. (Bill Kostroun/Associated Press)

The Nets claimed victory in the first game of this series, by a score of 96-91.

Toronto would even the series 1-1 in the following game, but ultimately would lose 4-2 to New Jersey by the series end.

That year, the Nets ended the Raptors' season with a one-point margin of victory in Game 6: 98-97.

Vince Carter, then a member of the Nets, scored 21 points against his former team, during the game that sent the Raptors packing for the off-season.

April 21-May 2, 2002

Chucky Atkins, then of the Detroit Pistons, is seen in the image above waving goodbye to the Toronto Raptors on May 2, 2002 -- the game in which Toronto was eliminated from the playoffs. (Paul Sancya/Associated Press)

The Raptors were mowed down by the Pistons 85-63 in the first game of a best-of-five series.

They lost again in the second game, but won the next two.

The fifth game, however, saw the Raptors lose 85-82, bringing their season to an end.

April 22-May 4, 2001

In this playoff run, the Raptors did lose the first game of their first-round series against the Knicks, 92-85. But Toronto turned it around and brought down the Knicks in the fifth game.

The second round of those playoffs saw the Raptors take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Toronto won their first game in that series, 96-93, but the team was eliminated in seven games the last loss coming in a game in which the Raptors lost 88-87.

April 23-30, 2000

The Raptors lost the first game of this series and were subsequently swept by the Knicks in three games. The last loss saw Toronto fall 87-80.

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