Nets forward Kevin Garnett: Brooklyn crowd 'could do better'

Kevin Garnett (right) and Paul Pierce (left) were providing noise at the Barclays Center on Friday. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Kevin Garnett is used to raucous Boston crowds, and in his first playoff game in Brooklyn, the Nets forward was underwhelmed.

Maybe he's just trying to get the fans mad so they are really loud for Game 4 on Sunday night.

"They could do better," Garnett said on Saturday, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. "I was expecting Brooklyn to be real hostile, New York-style. I know what it's like to come here as the opposition, so our crowd could do better, but they were there when we needed them, and we fed off of them."

Added Paul Pierce, who along with KG won a title in Boston in 2008: "Well, we know gradually they got into it. Hopefully the next game, it will get a lot better from the start. We want to come out from the jump, from the beginning, and have them in the game. It shouldn't take a big play from us. We want them behind us. It was a great crowd."

GOLLIVER: Kevin Garnett: 'I don't know you could say 'F--- Brooklyn' and then come into Brooklyn'

The Nets beat the Raptors 102-98 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. The announced crowd was 17,732, but many arrived after the 7 p.m. ET tipoff.

Brooklyn nearly blew a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead but held on after making 5-of-6 free throws with less than 30 seconds to play.

Garnett scored only two points and played only 16 minutes after getting into early foul trouble. Pierce scored 18 points and Joe Johnson led the Nets with 29.

"I mean, I thought the crowd was pretty good," Johnson said. "We just gotta go out and make them be excited, we gotta make plays on the court. That's it."

Garnett was screaming and popping his jersey after he dove for a loose ball in the final minute.

"I don't really know [what I was doing]. I blacked out at that point," Garnett said. "I have a kid at the game, setting an example, being a role model, all that goes out the door. I'm playing with heart at that point, I'm playing with passion, I'm feeding off the crowd; my friends, my family there; my teammates; J [coach Jason Kidd]. I'm just going. I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just going."

Garnett thought the crowd would be hostile after Raptors general manager screamed "F--- Brooklyn" at a rally in Toronto before Game 1.

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