Joe Netsfan Round 1 Game 5 - Raptors 98, Nets 96

Running late

Raptors 98, Nets 96
Round 1, Game 5 File
An aggressive start by the Raptors in a rough Nets first half has NJ down by 17, but a second half comeback fizzles after a last second Boki Nachbar miss that would have won the game. The Raptors win on their home court by getting in the Nets wheelhouse, and showing some confidence, and now the Nets face a Game 6 in East Rutherford on Friday.
• Box Score

Series Record: 3 - 2

Nets High Men:
• Points: Vince Carter, 30.
• Assists: Jason Kidd, 10.
• Rebounds: Mikki Moore, 10.
• Steals: Kidd, Carter, Moore, Jefferson and Wright each had 1.
• Turnovers: Kidd, Carter and Nachbar each had 3.
• Blocks: Jefferson, Moore and Wright each had 1.
• FG Percentage: Richard Jefferson, 64.3% (9 - 14).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 44.4%
• FT Percentage: 79.3%
• Rebounds: 36
• Rebound Differential: Even
• Turnovers: 13
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 8
• Bench points: 26
• Bench points Differential:-5
• Steals: 5
• Blocks: 3
• Points in the Paint: 28
• Double-Doubles: 1 (Jason Kidd: 11 points, 10 assists)
• Triple-Doubles: 0

The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 3
• Nets Fast Break Points: 12
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 44.4% (4 - 9).
• Scoring Differential Kidd in the game: -7
• Scoring Differential Kidd out: +5 (Williams, Carter)
• Double-Doubles this Season: 33
• Triple Doubles this Season: 12
• Career Triple Doubles: 87
• Double-Doubles playoffs: 4
• Triple Doubles playoffs: 1
• Career Playoff Triple Doubles:10

Nets Media
Bergen Record | Nets
Newark Star-Ledger | Nets
Newsday | Nets
NY Daily News | NBA
NY Post | Nets
NY Times | Pro Basketball
YES Network | Nets

Nets Team Pages
CNNSI.com | Nets
ESPN.com | Nets
FoxSports | Nets
NBA.com | Nets
Sportsline.com | Nets

Raptors Media:
Toronto Star
Toronto Sun | Raptors

Round 1, Game 5: Raptors 98, Nets 96 – May 1, 2007
Delayed At The Border
A late arrival over the border in Canada cost the Nets the series clincher tonight as the Raptors got tough, put on the shakedown and manned up in the first quarter to take a 20 point lead. And, even with an impressive second half comeback (really, a fourth quarter comeback) in which the Raptor shots started being contested and Kidd, Carter and Jefferson started working their magic, the Nets know full well that they took too long to get up to speed. Game six is back in New Jersey on Friday night.

After thinking the Raptors were suffering from a lack of confidence from their Game 4 play, it was the players suffering most, namely Andrea Bargnani and Anthony Parker, that set the tone early. Bargnani scored the first seven points, Parker found his way to the line, and most importantly, Toronto decided not to be pushovers anymore and used a physical style to gain the upper hand against the Nets. And those shots that fell during Games 3 and 4 weren't falling for NJ, so it was a 20 point hole after a quarter.

The Nets aren't the Raptors, though, and their experience helped them get through it. Trying to make a run in the second quarter but failing to get enough stops to make it stick, the Nets ran it down to 13 but ultimately settled for a 17 point deficit at the break. Only the energy of Josh Boone and contributions from the Nets bench kept this one from looking like a lost cause as Jose Calderon appeared to be on a mission to drive the Nets crazy.

The third quarter was all Kidd, Carter and Jefferson (surprise), but again despite improved play the Nets just weren't getting enough stops. What they were doing, though, was starting to check their passports at the door, following VC to shave five more points off the lead to end the third down by 12.

The Nets immediately got the lead down under 10 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, but still found themselves down by 14 with less than 9 minutes remaining before Kidd and Carter drove threes into the heart of the Raptor defense to start the rally. From there the Big Three went to work while the defense dug in, and despite getting in early foul trouble and handing the Raptors free points, a 17 - 6 run put the Nets down three with 4:42 to play. Of course, this being the Nets, you have to take some more hassle to get across the border, and a three minute drought immediately thereafter put them down 7 with 1:21 to play.

Incredibly given their late game failings this seaosn, the then Nets ran off six straight points, including a huge Carter three and an impressive Jefferson finger roll, to pull back within a point with 27 seconds to play. An intentional foul of Chris Bosh, strangely silent all night, put the Raptors back up three, but a strong Mikki Moore tip-in off a Carter miss left them on the cusp with 16 seconds to play. Bosh was intentionally fouled again, converting one of two to put Toronto up by two with one final chance for the Nets.

Out of timeouts, Kidd rebounded the Bosh free throw miss and put the pedal to the medal, handing off to Carter, who was practically wearing Juan Dixon as he probed the defense looking for a seam. Making his final drive with about two seconds to go, he dished off to Boki Nachbar, who fired away from three as time ran out, watching as it bounced harmlessly off the front rim to leave the Nets just short of closing it out.

All that effort, in what was essentially a half (and maybe more like a quarter), wasn't enough to get it done. Maybe getting in line earlier to cross the border would help next time.

International Terminal
Stranded – Miserable first half for the Nets, with 10 turnovers, a stagnant offense, and all those shots that wouldn't fall that fell in Games 3 and 4. Before the Nets knew what hit them, they were battered and bruised, and down by 20 points. With the home crowd at hysterical proportions, it took some settling down by the second teamers (Marcus Williams, Boki Nachbar, Antoine Wright, Josh Boone) to get the Nets back in the right frame of mind. But digging a hole that proved to be a bit too much to get out of wasn't anyone's idea of how this Game 5 should have gone.
Opening Of The Gates - Finally, when the defense stiffened and the shots started falling did the Nets make their run. Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson keyed the return from the land of the lost, with Carter and Jefferson finding ways to attack and score. Carter was particularly pestered by Mo Peterson, but despite all he managed to get 30 points, including a huge three late.
Mounties - The Raptors won despite losing TJ Ford early with what was described as stingers in both arms after hitting the floor in the first quarter. With Jose Calderon at the controls, the Raptors looked like they could do no wrong, at least until the fourth quarter, where he may have tired. And then, with less than a minute to go, Calderon may have sprained an ankle under pressure from Kidd (where he turned it over, leading to the huge Carter three). That would leave the Raptors with their third string backup for Game 6, which wouldn't be a comforting thought for Toronto.
Bosh Bashed - The Nets fell down early despite nothing from the Raptors best player all game long. Foul plagued and largely absent (except perhaps defensively) for most of the game, gamely played by Jason Collins and Mikki Moore, the Raptors still managed to survive Bosh's absense thanks to others (Bargnani and Parker, mainly) making shots they had missed for the past three games.
Cavalry - The Nets made 7 three pointers in the second half to help themselves, after going 2 - 10 in the first half. Kidd and Carter were largely the wrecking crew for the three ball.

Check Your Package
So, Netsfans, we're forced to watch a Game 6 on Friday night because the Raptors finally got some stones, Andrea Bargnani, Anthony Parker and Jose Calderon made shots, and the Nets took at least a quarter to show up in Canada. The Big Three were again good, but the defense wasn't, at least not until the fourth quarter, when the Nets did the majority of their damage. It looks as though the Raptors were pumped by the crowd, and the do-or-die attitude they needed, but can they sustain that in Game 6, especially with TJ Ford likely out and Jose Calderon a question mark? We'll see on Friday night.
-Joe