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TORONTO - The Raptors and Nets dont like each other, even after one playoff game that has been made abundantly clear. If youre looking to trace back that animosity, start with Torontos one-point victory at Barclays Center in late January. There was a playoff-type buzz in the building that night. DeMar DeRozan sat out with an ankle injury, Kyle Lowry and Paul Pierce both turned in playoff-type performances. There were 18 lead changes, nine ties and three technical fouls - on Lowry, Piece and Kevin Garnett - later, the Raptors stole the game, literally, as Patrick Patterson picked off a Deron Williams pass and hit the winner. "This is a team we could see in the playoffs," uttered multiple voices in both locker rooms and at that point we knew, somehow, some way it was bound to become a reality. Terrence Ross continued to foreshadow a couple days later, listing the Nets as a preferred playoff opponent. Andray Blatche was not amused. Meanwhile, the Nets also had Toronto on their wish list as they rested players and lost games to maximize the odds of this matchup coming to fruition. The Raptors were not amused, at least they shouldnt have been. Then the war of words started. "[Expletive] Brooklyn," yelled Raptors president, general manager and hype man Masai Ujiri as he addressed thousands of fans outside the Air Canada Centre prior to Saturdays Game 1. Reluctantly, he delivered a halftime apology, more for the choice of phrasing than the message itself. Hes not alone in that sentiment. "That should represent how we all feel," Dwane Casey said after his team fell victim to the veteran savvy of Brooklyn in the series opener. "I feel the same way and Ive got his back," added Greivis Vasquez. "We dont like any of them either. Thats how we all feel. All of us." Nets coach Jason Kidd said he didnt know who the Raptors GM was and on Sunday the barbs continued to fly. "Im shocked that Bryan Colangelo would say that," Pierce said to the New York Post, informed of what the opposing GM had to say the day before. Reminded that Ujiri replaced Colangelo in the Raptors front office last summer, as if he were somehow unaware, Pierce responded, "I dont know what youre talking about." Theres genuine hostility here. Its not manufactured, though the media has helped fan the flames. "Raptors vs. Dinosaurs," read the Toronto Sun cover on game day, poking fun at the age of Pierce and Garnett. "Dont F*** With Bklyn," the New York Daily News shot back 24 hours later. This has the makings of a competitive, heated series, but rivalry? "I dont think its a rivalry at all," Kyle Lowry said following a Sunday afternoon practice session outside of the Raptors gym on the third level of the ACC. Hes right. Neither team will call this a rivalry and neither should. Territorially, the Nets and the Knicks are natural adversaries, while the Nets - especially with former Celtics Pierce and Garnett on board - have their sites set on throwing down with the Heat, who they defeated four times this season. The Raptors? They dont have a rival. Thats the unfortunate reality of qualifying for the playoffs six times in 19 seasons. For the bulk of their existence, and especially during a recent five-year postseason layoff, theyve been their own worst enemy. "I dont know," said Casey, "rivalry?" "I think the whole Atlantic Divisions a rivalry, the Eastern Conference. We havent got to the spot yet where we can say, Hey, theyre a rival. New Jerseys been to the Finals before, we havent. A lot of teams in our division have been there, where were trying to get to. Weve got to earn that." Thats their focus right now, as it should be. Earning it. The Raptors lost Game 1, not because of Ujiri, not because of anything that was said or done off the floor. They lost because they were outplayed by a team that was not fazed by the moment, by their surroundings. The ACC was electric on Saturday and the sellout crowd did their part, and then some. The building looked and sounded like the "living hell" that Ujiri has called for over and over again. Chants of "Nets suck" and "KG sucks" rang down from the stands throughout the afternoon. Is Toronto a basketball town? It sure seemed like it for three hours but one thing is for certain, its a sports city and as such, it craves that rivalry. It still boos Vince Carter, it still shows up to jeer the Knicks, a former playoff foe from the Raptors "glory days". It would like nothing more than to believe that Brooklyn is the enemy, and for at least three more games they will be. Then what? It depends on what happens here. Rivalries are made in the playoffs and a long, emotional, drawn-out series, almost regardless of the result, would go a long way in prolonging the underlying hatred between these two clubs. For now its being put to the side, at least in the Raptors locker room, where bouncing back and evening the series is now a top priority. Aside from a brief quip to lead off his media scrum - "I promise you I wont have any profanity" - Casey wanted no part in discussing Ujiris controversial speech from the day before. Neither did his players. A war of words may not lose them this series, but it wont win it either. On Sunday the message was clear; a little less conversation, a little more action, please. "This is about basketball," said the Raptors coach. "All that stuff has happened." "All the other stuff, what was said, its about basketball. Its about screening. Its about finishing plays. Its about executing defensively. I dont want to get off on another tangent." 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Steve has built a solid reputation throughout the years - first as a hockey player, then as an NHL general manager and now as a scout.CLEVELAND - Carlos Carrasco has gone from the starting rotation to the bullpen to back to being a starter again. Hed like to keep it that way. "Thats my job," he said. "I just want to stay there." Carrasco improved his job security by shutting out AL East-leading Baltimore on three hits over seven innings, lifting the Cleveland Indians to a 6-0 victory over the Orioles on Saturday night. Carlos Santana hit a three-run homer in the first off Ubaldo Jimenez (4-9) and Michael Brantley added a two-run shot in the fifth as the hot-and-cold Indians won for the fifth time in six games. Jimenez, who pitched the Indians to the post-season in 2013, lost to his former teammates for the second time this season. Carrasco (5-4) got two inning-ending double plays to avoid early trouble and then retired 15 straight after giving up a leadoff double in the third. Its the second straight strong outing for Carrasco, who won for the first time in 17 decisions — since June 29, 2011 — in his last start at New York. "I think hes better equipped to pitch," manager Terry Francona said. "I think he feels good about himself. I think being out in the bullpen helped him a lot. It let him settle in and get his confidence and kind of understand who he is. Its a big lift for us." The Orioles have lost consecutive games for the first time since June 28-29. Inconsistent starting pitching has been a problem for the Indians all season, and Francona has been waiting for someone to step up. Carrasco could be the guy. The right-hander, who went 0-3 with a 6.95 ERA in his first four starts, hasnt allowed a run or walk in 12 consecutive innings. Carrasco has always had electric stuff and the Indians have held out hope he would figure things out. Pitching exclusively out of the stretch, he threw five shutout innings against the Yankees last week, and if he continues to pitch the way he has lately, hell hang onto his starting job for a while. "We talked about him wanting a spot in the rotation this spring," Francona said, "and now he has gone out and earned it by what hes done.dddddddddddd That should be really rewarding for him because he deserves it." Clevelands unreliable defence — the Indians lead the majors in errors — turned double plays to end the first and second innings behind Carrasco. In the ninth, right fielder Chris Dickerson ran down Steve Pearces shot to the track, preserving the shutout. Santana staked Carrasco to a 3-0 lead in the first with his 21st homer, a 422-foot shot to centre. Jimenez came in leading the AL in walks, and he put Michael Bourn and Jose Ramirez on to start the inning. One out and a passed ball later, Santana made his former batterymate pay with a towering blast into the shrubs behind the centre-field wall. "He didnt get off to a good start," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Jimenez. "He walked the first two guys and the next thing you know were down 3-0." Brantleys 18th homer capped a three-run fifth to make it 6-0. KLUBERS REST Not wanting to take any chances with ace Corey Kluber, the Indians will push his next start back to Thursday at Minnesota. Kluber has been the ALs most dominant pitcher for two months. SANTANAS SHOT: His homer was the 92nd of his career, tying him with former Indians All-Star catcher Sandy Alomar for 28th on the teams career list. TRAINERS ROOM Orioles: CF Adam Jones played despite soreness in his right hand, which was hit Friday night when he tried to get down a bunt. Indians: Bourn returned to centre field and the leadoff spot after being sidelined since July 6 with a troublesome hamstring. He went 0 for 2 with a walk, sacrifice and scored once. UP NEXT Orioles RHP Kevin Gausman, 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA in five starts, will try to salvage the series finale. For the Indians, enigmatic RHP Danny Salazar will be recalled from the minors to make his 13th start. The hard thrower began the season in Clevelands rotation. ' ' '