Raptors Rewind- So Long V.C For Another Year Edition

So Jalen Rose is more talked about now then when he was a Raptor. All this talk about Chris Bosh and 2010 is making me sick to my stomach. It doesn't help that the snow is falling outside and add the fact this game is on TSN 2, boy am I happy about the state of things. Oh yeah and Raptors are still in a hole with no signs of help coming. It really all is quite depressing. But at least I know Vince Carter will be smiling win or lose for his Nets. If you could have wrote a worse script for this season for the Raptors I could not imagine how you could top the reality. Nets lead this season series 2-1 winning both games in Toronto. So if you still have playoff hopes for this team this is a big game. A win by the Nets would give them a important tie breaker over the Raptors.

1st Quarter

Here we go. The tip went all the way out of bound and Nets would inbound from base line and Anderson nailed a 3 pointer. Anthony Parker made a baseline jumper and Nets answered with 3 pointer. Jose Calderon would answer with a 3 pointer of his own. Vince Carter who turned 32 on Monday would make a 3 pointer. I once again forgot to send Vince a birthday card, what was I thinking. Andrea Bargnani would get a nice basket in the paint. But as they say at the IZOD did you see V.C for 3? I think that is how it goes. Parker hit a jumper but V.C had another 3 pointer he had 4 early on. Nets lead it 15-10 with 7:15 to play in the first. Devin Harris would get to the line fouled by Bargnani. He would make both from the line. Harris would later get the steal and score and the Nets had a 9-2 run and lead 21-12.

Vince now taking it to the hole driving by a helpless Jose and had an average variety dunk. He would have another thrown down later that was more impressive. Carter had 16 points and Nets lead 25-12 with about 5 minutes to go. Chris Bosh would get to the line and split a pair. A.P was about the only Raptor having a decent night as he made another jumper. Jose Calderon would make a play on defense and get a steal and scores a lay up on the break. But Simmons would make a 3 pointer for the Nets in response. J.O would take it at the rookie Brook Lopez for a score.The Nets would still lead 27-19 with a time out on the floor. Andrea Bargnani would make a long 2 pointer and pull the Raptors to down just 6 on the strength of a 9-2 run for the Raptors. But Keyon Dooling would make a 3 pointer but the shot clock expired before the shot left Dooling. Raptors would have .7 seconds left. A long pass would get stolen and that was the end of the first quarter. Nets lead 27-21 after 1 quarter of play.

2nd Quarter

Thanks to long delay to determining things about Dooling and his shot there was no break and we got going right away with the second quarter. Joey Graham would start the quarter getting to the line but he could only split a pair. Najera would get a basket for the Nets. Graham would answer with a basket. Nets lead it by 5 with the score 29-24. Roko would turn it over and Dooling would get to the line fouled by O'Neal. Dooling would make his pair from the line. Devin Harris would have a nice stop on a dime jumper. Kapono would make a 3 pointer and Dooling would answer with a 3 pointer of his own. However Bargnani would add another 3 pointer for the Raptors. It was 36- 30 in a 3 point shot a-thon at the Izod Center. Bosh would have back to back baskets with a Dooling 3 pointer in between the Bosh scores. Brook Lopez would get set up by Devin Harris and he would get an easy two. Nets still leading it 41-34 with 5 minutes to play in the half.

J.O would get caught fouling Devin Harris from behind the arc. Harris would make all 3 from the line. The Nets were now up but 10 with the score 44-34. Anthony Parker would make a pair from the line. However Bobby Simmons would make a 3 pointer. Parker would answer for the Raptors with a 3 pointer. Parker would get another 3 pointer later on and he had 16 keeping the Raptors in this game. Raptors had cut the lead to just 4 points with the score 49-45 Nets with 1:56 to play in the half. Vince Carter would get to the line and make a pair as he had been quiet after a hot first quarter. Chris Bosh would make a jumper. The Raptors would be in foul trouble after that as Bargnani picked up his 3rd foul and J.O already had 3. Simmons split a pair from the line. Bosh would drive on Lopez and score plus a foul that he would make. Raptors were down just 2. But Vince Carter would make a jumper to extend that to 4. Raptors would call a time out and look to get a final score with a last possession. The Raptors would throw the ball away and not be able to close any closer. Nets have not trailed in this game as they lead 54-50 at the half.

3rd Quarter

So Vince Carter had 20 but the Nets only lead by 4. Still I just did not like what I was seeing from the Raptors. The Nets were getting to many looks from long range and making a high percentage of them. Raptors were shooting a blazing percentage behind the arc but had not as many attempts. Bosh makes a jumper to open the scoring in the second. Jamario Moon would get a big block that went out of bounds. The Nets would not score though. A.P would hit another 3 pointer and give the Raptors their first lead. Calderon would follow with another 3 pointer and the Raptors had an 8-0 run to start the quarter and lead by 4. Nets would end the run with a Brook Lopez score he would score again on an alley oop feed from V.C. It was all even at 58. Brook Lopez was not done scoring with a jumper over Bosh to give the Nets the lead back with score 60-58. Vince Carter would miss get his own rebound and make a jumper. The Nets answer the Raptors 8-0 run with one of their own. Raptors would call a time out to talk it over.

Out of the time out a terrific alley oop feed from Calderon to Moon. After that though bad news for the Raptors as Andrea Bargnani picked up his 4th foul. Bosh missed a turn around jumper that could have tied it but he missed. Nets got the rebound and Harris would drive and score and was fouled by Bosh. Harris made the and one and the Nets leaf by 5. Jose Calderon would hit a jumper to get the Raptors to with in 3. Jamario Moon would make a 3 pointer to tie the game at 65. The Raptors were getting it done from long range. The Nets would get baskets from Lopez and Harris. Calderon would answer with a 3 ball he had 11 points and 11 assists. Raptors still trailed 69-68. Vince Carter would get fouled by J.O which normally I would encourage. However that would be J.O's 4th foul to go along with Bargnani with 4. Back to back baskets by Jose and he had 15 points and the Raptors had the lead back 72-71 with 3:16 to go in the quarter. Keyon Dooling out of the time out would hit a 3 pointer to put the Nets back in front. Jamario Moon would make a jumper and tie it at 74. Jamario was having one of the best games he has had in a long time. Joey Graham would get to the line and make a pair to put the Raptors back in front. Kapono would get to the line as well and make a pair and Raptor lead was 4 with 1:30 to go. Nets had gone ice cold from long range. They were now a 9-25 from behind the are. The Raptors mean while would get a split 1-2 effort from Parker at the line but Raps got the rebound and Jason Kapono would make a 3 pointer. Devin Harris would get fouled right at the buzzer by Jake Voskhul. sending him to the line. Raptors had an 8 point lead that Harris would look to cut to 6. He could only go 1-2 and the Raptors lead it 84-77 after 3 quarters of play. It is clear my bad feeling heading into the quarter was dead wrong. Not that I am unhappy about that.

4th Quarter

So could the Raptors hang on to the 7 point lead. Not a good start as Devin Harris opened the quarter with a 3 pointer. Josh Boone would be fouled to cut the lead more but he is not a good shooter. He missed both from the stripe. Jason Kapono would get the first two points for the Raptors in the quarter. Calderon continues another great night in his return to the line up making a jumper and a time out for the Nets down 8 points with the score 88-80 with 10:13 to play. Dooling would miss an easy lay up and Joey Graham would score on the other end. The Raptors had their largest lead of the night at 10. A Dooling 3 ball would cut the lead to 7 points but Jermaine O'Neal would answer with a basket and they lead 94-85.

Devin Harris had a nice play but it was called back for offensive interference. Brook Lopez would get a basket but Graham would answer and Joey G had a dozen. Lopez would get another basket and Devin Harris would draw a foul and get to the line with the score 96-89. That would be number 5 on J.O. Harris could only split 1-2. Raptors would not be able to score and Nets would get the ball only to have it eventually picked off by Moon. Raptors lead it 96-90 with just under 6 minutes to go in this one. Chis Bosh would beat the Nets zone defense by making a jumper to give the Raptors an 8 point advantage. Joey Graham would score and get fouled and have a chance to give the Raptors a 12 point lead which he would. Joey had 15 and Raptor lead 102-90.

The Nets would get a much needed 3 pointer. Devin Harris would get fouled with 3:39 to go and Harris looking to cut the lead some more. He would make a pair. Devin Harris would get called for a travel as he was looking to cut the lead some more. He took a shot in the face as well. But The Raptors had suddenly gone cold and Keyon Dooling hit a 3 pointer and the Raptors 12 point lead had been trimmed to 4. Raptors lead was 102-98 with 2:59 to play. Chris Bosh would make a much needed jumper out of the time out. But Bobby Simmons would make another 3 pointer. Bosh would get to the line looking to extend a 3 point lead at 104-101. He would make the pair with 2:17 to go. Bosh would get a block on a Simmons shot and Parker would be fouled. He could only make 1 of 2 and Raptors lead 107-101. Simmons would air ball a 3 point attempt and Raptors were looking good to win 3 in a row for the first time sine the season started. But Vince Carter said not so fast making a 3 point and the score was 107-104. Lopez would block a Bosh shot but clearer looked like he was fouled. No call and ball went out of bounds and the Nets would have the ball with 43 seconds left. A time out for Lawrence Frank to try and make a play that would help his team get a win. Devin Harris would drive to the hoop for the easy 2 points. Raptors had the ball only up 107-106 and would be Jay Triano now calling for time out. There was still 37.8 on the clock as Harris took little time to get that score. Jose Calderon would miss a jumper and the Nets would not call for time and play it out. Devin Harris would make a great move and have an open jump shot he would create but he would miss it. Parker had the rebound and it was all over. Raptors hang on to win 107-106.

Raps/Nets Boxscore

Jose Calderon was huge with 17 points, 11 assists and 3 assists. The Raptors also get good news with a Bucks lost on the out of town score board. That is who the Raptors face next heading into on a 3 game win streak. This will be one of those was the glass half full or half empty kind of games. Raptors have had their share of bad breaks this season so it was about time karma let one fall their way.