DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors celebrates the win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson of the Toronto Raptors celebrate the win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Patrick Patterson of the Toronto Raptors celebrates a three-pointer against the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Patrick Patterson of the Toronto Raptors tries to block Brooklyn Nets' Paul Pierce's pass during Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Kyle Lowry and Amir Johnson of the Toronto Raptors celebrate a late basket against the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

The Toronto Raptors celebrate the win against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors dunks on Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

A Raptors fan in Maple Leaf Square outside the ACC to watch Game 2 against Brooklyn on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agen

Landry Fields of the Toronto Raptors gets in the lane of Marcus Thornton of the Brooklyn Nets Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto Tuesday, April 22, 2014.  Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors gets around Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Greivis Vasquez of the Toronto Raptors gets around Alan Anderson of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Mayor Rob Ford watches the Toronto Raptors against the Brooklyn Nets from the nose-bleeds during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors blocks Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors puts one up on Mirza Teletovic of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors gets around Mirza Teletovic of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors tips off against Kevin Garnett of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Greivis Vasquez of the Toronto Raptors gets held up by Alan Anderson of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoff series on April 22, 2014. ( Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors gets over Andray Blatche of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto Tuesday, April 22, 2014.  Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Raptors fans watch the game on the big screen in Maple Leaf Square on Tuesday April 22, 2014.  Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agen

Raptors fans watch the game on the big screen in Maple Leaf Square on Tuesday April 22, 2014.  Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agen

Raptors fans watch the game on the big screen in Maple Leaf Square on Tuesday April 22, 2014.  Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agen

Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors dunks on Andrei Kirilenko of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto Tuesday, April 22, 2014.  Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Amir Johnson of the Toronto Raptors battles for the ball on Kevin Garnett of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto Tuesday, April 22, 2014.  Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Raptors fans watch the game on the big screen in Maple Leaf Square on Tuesday April 22, 2014.  Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agen

DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors dunks on Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto Tuesday, April 22, 2014.  Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Jonas Valanciunas and Patrick Patterson of the Toronto Raptors put one in past Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto Tuesday, April 22, 2014.  Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Raptors fans watch the game on the big screen in Maple Leaf Square on Tuesday April 22, 2014.  Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agen

Raptors fans watch the game on the big screen in Maple Leaf Square on Tuesday April 22, 2014.  Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

The Raptors needed a whole lot more from starting big man Amir Johnson in Game 2 on Tuesday. 

After a slow start that seemed ominous at the time, Johnson was stellar. 

Perhaps not all the way back to his old form, but good enough to give Toronto a huge lift. 

Johnson was the team’s primary help defender and did a nice job for most of the game. 

Head coach Dwane Casey said Johnson didn’t adjust well to the early start for Game 1, but was far more on point for the pivotal second game. 

At the other end, Brooklyn had no answers for Johnson as he rolled to the bucket, usually after being set up by Kyle Lowry or Greivis Vasquez.  Johnson finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, two blocked shots and only missed two of his 10 field goal attempts. 

He also all but sealed the win with a dunk off a great in-bounds pass from Vasquez. 

Afterward, Johnson made it clear he never doubted that both he and his team would bounce back. “ We have a grittiness to prove we are great team.  It means a lot to be here for five years and finally reach this stage,” Johnson said. 

“We weren’t going down 0-2.  We were the desperate team.  There was no way we were going to lose that game.” 

Asked before the game how he could have more of an impact, after closing the season with games far below his usual caliber, Johnson was direct. 

“Just being energized, just running the floor, beating my man down the floor, just doing stuff that raises my energy level up, do whatever I can to change the momentum, get that energy I usually play with.” 

That came to pass as Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas and Patrick Patterson, the only Toronto big men to get onto the court, all had stellar games. 

But Johnson was the key. 

“We need him.  He knows that,” Vasquez said. “ We need him to step up and play big basketball.  This is man’s time right now, it’s not little kids.  This is a men’s league. 

“New series.  We even, so we’ll see what happens.” 

MVP Fields? 

The return of Landry Fields to the lineup had an immediate impact for the Raptors on Tuesday. 

Fields had played just two minutes over Toronto’s past 10 games, but grabbed four rebounds and dished out an assist in nine first-half minutes, helping Toronto to a 27-18 edge on the glass, while also playing a large role in a defence that held Brooklyn to 37.5% shooting from the field through two. 

When Joe Johnson went off in the third, Fields provided the antidote, keeping him in check from there, forcing him into a pivotal air-ball. 

Greivis Vasquez went as far as to call Fields his team’s most valuable player on the night. 

“We always talk about who scored the most points, who was carrying the team, but I’ll tell you this man, we’re just as good as the last two guys on the bench,” Vasquez said. 

“Credit to Landry because he hasn’t played at all and he do what he does.  He was the MVP tonight, it wasn’t anybody else but him.  Because he didn’t score, but he played great defence and that was contagious.” 

CASEY FIFTH IN COACH VOTE

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey finished fifth in voting, announced Tuesday, for the NBA’s coach of the year.  San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich won the award for the third time, beating out Jeff Hornacek (Phoenix), Tom Thibodeau (Chicago) and Steve Clifford (Charlotte).  Casey got five first place votes. 

Like usual, Casey wasn’t about to talk about himself when the subject of recognition came up pre-game. 

“It doesn’t mean a lot in the big scheme of things, but my congratulations to Gregg Popovich.  I’ve known Pop a long time, he did a great job with that team he had this year,” Casey said. 

“Running the show as general manager, president, coach, that’s an unbelievable task, and to win it three times it says a lot about him.” 

Casey’s players didn’t hesitate to speak highly of their coach. 

“He’s done a great job.  He came here, changed the team over, changed the whole defensive atmosphere,” Johnson said pre-game. 

DeRozan lauded Casey for sticking with his principles from the start of his time in Toronto. 

“We had faith in him and he had faith in us and it feels good to turn it around and see him get that recognition,” DeRozan said. 

NO DISTRACTIONS

NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein was in the house, along with Toronto’s resident superfan Nav Bhatia, global ambassador Drake, Andrew Wiggins and many others. 

But Casey doesn’t care who is watching and wants his players to tune out the courtside celebrities as well. 

“Believe me, I don’t even think about who is in the stands, who is sitting next to me.  Drake’s over there yelling at the referees, I hear it but I don’t see it,” Casey said. 

“My mind is on the court.  I think it’s great for our organization to get the hype and all that, but I don’t get caught up in that and that’s one thing I want our players to not do in the playoff atmosphere.  Make sure their mind stays on basketball.” 

Johnson was excited to hear Goldstein and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford were coming to Game 2. 

“ I think it’s great,” he said. “ We’re starting to get some celebs here, we’re like a new L.A., right? 

TROLL SO HARD

Brooklyn’s Twitter account had some fun trolling Toronto and Canada throughout the night. 

“Toronto mayor being shown on the video board.. He’s one official that hasn’t said something silly-about this series, that is #Nets” read one tweet. 

“Toronto fans now booing their own..They feel the wrong guy won a dance contest..It’s hard being ignored, We Up North #Nets – LR” read another. 

CHOICE QUOTES

Paul Pierce earlier in the day, coming off the high of Game 1, before missing a big shot in Game 2 on why he’s so clutch: “I think it’s just in the DNA.  Can’t buy it at Costco or Walgreens,” Pierce said. 

Teammate Kevin Garnett post-game: “I don’t know if you can say “F___ Brooklyn” and then come into Brooklyn, so we’re about to see what it’s like,” Garnett said. 

Raptors' Johnson steps up big in Game 2 win

The Raptors needed a whole lot more from starting big man Amir Johnson in Game 2 Tuesday. 

After a slow start that seemed ominous at the time, Johnson was stellar. 

Perhaps not all the way back to his old form, but good enough to give Toronto a huge lift. 

Johnson was the team’s primary help defender and did a nice job for most of the game. 

At the other end, Brooklyn had no answers for Johnson as he rolled to the bucket, usually after being set up by Kyle Lowry or Greivis Vasquez.  Johnson finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, two blocked shots and only missed two of his 10 field goal attempts. 

He also all but sealed the win with a dunk off a great in-bounds pass from Greivis Vasquez. 

Asked before the game how he could have more of an impact, after closing the season with games far below his usual caliber, Johnson was direct.