NEW YORK, N. Custom Cleveland Cavaliers Jerseys .Y. - Jason Kidd never appears worries about anything, certainly not about someone like Paul Pierce. Even if Pierces matchup was completely one-sided in Torontos favour in Game 2. Pierce nearly had as many fouls as points. He couldnt get his shot to fall, couldnt keep his man off the boards, and the Raptors targeted the Pierce matchup as one they could exploit. Yet Kidd is not concerned as his Brooklyn Nets prepare to host the Raptors in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series Friday night. "Pauls doing every right. The game of basketball is about making shots and sometimes you make them and sometimes you dont. So Paul, I think, has had two good games," Kidd said Wednesday on a conference call. Pierce was sharp down the stretch in helping the Nets win the opener, but couldnt get it going Tuesday night in Torontos 100-95 victory. He shot 2 for 11 and finished with seven points and six rebounds. Worse for the Nets, the Raptors took of advantage of their size against a Nets team that plays Pierce as an undersized power forward. Toronto outrebounded Brooklyn 52-30, with power forwards Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson combining for 28 points and 18 rebounds while making 13 of 19 shots. Johnson said after the game that with Pierce playing the 4 spot, Raptors coach Dwane Casey told him to go to the glass every time on offence and defence. "We understand were a more athletic team than them. For us to get to the glass every single opportunity we have that presents itself is what we need to do," Patterson said Wednesday. "There shouldnt be a game in this series where we get outrebounded by them." The Nets went to the small-ball lineup after centre Brook Lopez was lost for the season with a broken foot in December, and it helped them turn around their season. With Pierces outside shooting ability, it creates a matchup problem for bigger defenders, who usually prefer to play closer to the basket. But it creates a different set of problems for the Nets against aggressive bigs like Torontos, who quickly put Pierce into foul trouble that prevented him from ever getting into a rhythm Tuesday. Yet if he made either of the two 3-point attempts that bounced out in the final 25 seconds, the Nets might have come home with a 2-0 lead, and Kidd preferred to focus on that. "No matter what he shot in the last game, he had great looks and they just went in and out, and so theres nothing in the sense of changing what Pauls going to do," Kidd said of Pierce, the 2008 NBA Finals MVP. "Hes a very smart player, he understands time and situation and ... theres no concern." Pierce said after the game the Nets were soft when it came to their rebounding, and teammates agreed they had to do a better job as a team of helping out on the boards. But that was far from Brooklyns only problem in Game 2. All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan bounced back from his shaky opener with 30 points and carried Toronto down the stretch, while centre Jonas Valanciunas came up with 15 points and 14 rebounds. It gave the impression that the younger Raptors, who won the Atlantic Division, might have too many answers for the Nets. "Toronto is going to win this series," TNT analyst Charles Barkley said afterward. "I have not seen anything these first two games that makes me see anything different." The Raptors will still need to win at least one in Brooklyn. They are a good road team, with a 22-19 record that matched Miami and Washington for best in the East. "Its a new beginning, a new frontier, a new experience," coach Dwane Casey said of going on the road now. "The only way youre going to get it is to go through it. I have faith in our guys and confidence in our guys that were going to go in there as a group bonded together and fight together." AP freelance writer Ian Harrison in Toronto contributed to this report. Dean Wade Jersey . With their coach gone, they finally played offence the way he would have wanted. Amare Stoudemire made all seven shots in the first half, Anthony passed and shot well, and the Knicks shook off the surprising departure of their coach to rout the Portland Trail Blazers 121-79 on Wednesday night, snapping a six-game losing streak. John Williams Jersey . Yoenis Cespedes proved he can play through a hurting right heel, giving Scott Kazmir and the As a spark with a pair of RBIs that helped spoil the Minnesota Twins home opener with an 8-3 victory on Monday. https://www.cheapcavaliers.com/ . The unrestricted free agent agreed to terms with the club on Thursday on a one-year, two-way deal worth $700,000. SEATTLE -- Wei-Yin Chen threw one of his finest games in the major leagues, allowing just five hits over eight innings in Baltimores 4-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night. What everyone wanted to talk about, however, was his defence. Chen (11-3), who has won his past four starts, set the tone in the first inning when he bounded off the mound, gathered a slow roller and glove-flipped the ball to the plate to prevent a run. "That was a little bit of a momentum change there," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Then he showed how to get people out after that." Delmon Young hit a three-run homer in the Orioles four-run third inning and that was all Chen needed as he scattered five singles, walked one and struck out three, matching his career high for innings pitched. His 11 wins ties him for third-most in American League. On the road, Chen is 6-1 with a 3.94 ERA in nine starts. Darren ODay finished with a routine ninth inning. It was Baltimores eighth shutout. The Mariners have been shut out 12 times, tying Tampa Bay for the most in the American League. Chens only hint of trouble came in the first. James Jones walked and stole second, the rookies 20th of the season. After a groundout, Robinson Cano dribbled a ball in front of the plate. Chen scooped and flipped it with his glove to catcher Caleb Joseph, who tagged Jones as he slid in head first. "They actually practice that play in spring but its one of those things people think youre killing time with pitchers," Showalter said. "But it came into play today." Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon protested the call but it was crew chief Fieldin Culbreth who initiated a TV replay review to determine if Joseph illegally blocked the plate. After a review of 3:45, the original call was confirmed. "I was going on contact and his foot was there in the way," Jones said. "I didnt understand the rules, if I could run through him or I didnt know what to do but he was definitely in front of that plate." Joseph said hes "pretty clear on the rules." "You try catch it and make the tag," he said. "The last thing in my mind is where you are position-wise. But thats an important aspect because of the new rules. We got it rightt tonight. Kevin Porter Jersey. We got it wrong about a month or so ago so it feels good to get it right this time." McClendon still isnt so sure. "I cant go out and argue after the decisions been made," he said. "Im just a little puzzled. He didnt have the ball, his foot was in front of the plate, he caught the ball and he dropped (his knee). To me, thats blocking the plate." Hisashi Iwakuma (8-5), who had won his previous three decisions, lost for the first time since June 25. He went seven innings, allowing four runs and seven hits. He struck out five without a walk. Iwakuma, who had just two three-ball counts, has not walked a batter in a club-record five straight starts, a span of 35 2-3 innings. He is second in club history in walk-less innings behind Cliff Lees 38, set in June 2010. Iwakuma has 33 strikeouts against no walks in those five starts. The Orioles began their four-run third with singles by John Flaherty, Joseph and Nick Markakis. Markakis single drove in one run and on the next pitch Young hit his fourth homer. It was the Orioles 123rd of the season, tying Toronto for the most in the majors. Young said he wasnt thinking home run "just something to get us the runner in from third." Dustin Ackley of the Mariners had a single in the second to give him a seven-game hitting streak and push his July average to .373. NOTES: Beyond the Mariners acquisition of DH Kendrys Morales from the Twins before the game, the club also added two players from Triple-A Tacoma to the roster. Jesus Montero was called up for a second stint and started at DH. Chris Taylor started at short in his first major league game and singled in the fifth. When he called his parents in Virginia Beach to tell them the news, Taylor said, "it was tough to hold it together. That moment is something youre never going to forget. Talking to them on the phone, telling them the news, hearing their voices, how excited they were, its just an indescribable feeling." To make room, the club sent RHP Taijuan Walker back to Tacoma and placed INF Willie Bloomquist (right knee contusion) on the 15-day DL. . The Orioles acquired INF Jimmy Paredes from Kansas City for cash considerations. He will report to the minors. ' ' '