Toronto Raptors vs New Jersey Nets Nov.21/08
Posted on March 23rd, 2010 by admin
On a night when Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani had a couple of the finest games of their careers, the sombre silence in the Raptors locker-room afterward said everything.
Vince Carter had struck once again, leading the New Jersey Nets past Toronto 129-127 in spectacular fashion Friday. The former Raptors star shrugged off the incessant booing from the Air Canada Centre crowd that pestered him all night long, pouring in 39 points, including the three-pointer that sent the game into extra time and the eventual winning dunk with 1.9 seconds left that rendered the Raptors speechless.
“I don’t even know what to say, I’m so upset about the game. It’s unbelievable,” said Bargnani, calling the loss the toughest of his career. “We were winning, we had the game under control, we made a couple of stupid mistakes.”
New Jersey’s win spoiled superb games by Bosh and Bargnani. Bosh tied his career high with 42 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Bargnani had a career-high 29 points, plus 10 boards in the loss which dropped Toronto to 6-6.
Jose Calderon, playing just his second game back after missing two with a hamstring injury, had 26 points and 15 assists for Toronto (6-6), who played almost the entire second half without Jermaine O’Neal after the centre left the game with a strained left knee.
Devin Harris added 30 points for the Nets (5-6).
The Raptors led from early on in their first of four straight home appearances, and looked poised to romp to a victory in a game that set season highs for first-quarter and first-half points. But a sluggish second half cost Toronto and the Nets chipped away at what had been a 18-point early in third to eventually tie the game in the fourth.
Toronto led 85-76 heading into the final 12 minutes, but Harris single-handedly got the Nets back in the game, scoring 13 points in the first six minutes, his bucket with 6:30 left tying the game at 93-93. Then Carter took over, scoring the Nets’ final 12 points in the fourth, including the long bomb as the clock ticked down to force the five-minute overtime period.
“You feel so good for Vince when you have the crowd like that, and all the times we’ve been up here, for him to hit the three to put it into overtime and for him to get the (game-winning) dunk,” Nets coach Lawrence Frank said.
The capacity crowd of 19,800 never sat down through a thrilling final five minutes as the Raptors traded bucket for bucket. The Raptors trailed by four points when Anthony Parker drained a three with 2.9 seconds on the clock to tie the game, and the matchup appeared headed for a second OT. But Bobby Simmons found a lurking Carter under the basket with his inbounds pass and Carter turned it into an alley-oop dunk to give the Nets the win.
“He’s one of the best athletes in the game,” Bosh said. “Lawrence Frank drew up a fantastic play and he left it up to his best player and he capitalized.
“You live and you learn, we’d be crazy not to learn from this experience, and that’s all I can say right now, that’s the kind of night this has been.”
There were a few frightening moments early in the fourth quarter when O’Neal crumpled to the floor clutching his left knee after the Nets’ Sean Williams tugged on his jersey from behind to pull down the Raptors centre. Williams was assessed a flagrant foul, while O’Neal limped to the locker-room with 11:37 left.
O’Neal, who missed a good chunk of his last two seasons with Indiana before the Raptors acquired him, headed to the hospital for testing following the game.
The much-maligned Carter was making his 15th regular-season appearance against his old team since he was traded to New Jersey in December, 2004. Raptors fans, true to tradition whenever the Nets are in town, booed Carter loudly when the team was introduced and whenever he had the ball. The jeers obviously didn’t bother the former face of the franchise, as he easily topped his scoring average of 22.6 points.
“I know, deep down, that’s just sports and that’s the way it goes,” Carter said on the booing. “I root for my team and I’m a terrible fan, also.”
Raptors coach Sam Mitchell urged his players to put the loss behind them, as the Raptors face an even tougher test Sunday when they host the Boston Celtics.
Duration : 0:6:4
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March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Oh man the Raptors …
Oh man the Raptors should’ve had that!
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
well guess whos 0- …
well guess whos 0-14 now?
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
one of the best …
one of the best games of the season that game was liveeeeeeee!!!
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
wthw as sean …
wthw as sean williams doing at 1:07?
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
DAYUMMM what a game …
DAYUMMM what a game??? … you carter
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
TO hates VC coz hes …
TO hates VC coz hes the biggest thing to hit toronto! stronger than a bear, faster than a buck the biggest thing to hit TORONTO coz THE MAPLE LEAF SUCKZ!! VC OWNZ T.O suckas!!
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
raptors 09 champs
raptors 09 champs
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
carter……oh no.
…
carter……oh no.
owned you once, shame on me, owned you twice, shame on you.
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Brilliant.
You …
Brilliant.
You must be Canadian.
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
stfu
stfu
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
ill say something.. …
ill say something…..2nd worst team in the east hahahah. yes i aint gona lie. i miss the raptors of old. i was at this game too
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
**** Toronto. …
**** Toronto. Period.
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
raptors fans miss …
raptors fans miss carter and they just cant admit it its annoying
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
i was at the game, …
i was at the game, and when carter got the oop pass for the win in ot, the crowd just pin dropped and left. dayum
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Raptors fans lol… …
Raptors fans lol…. SAY SOMETHIN!!! 3rd worse team in the east?! LMFAO!
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
is he still at 75 …
is he still at 75 consecutive ?
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Calderon just beat …
Calderon just beat steve nash’s record for most consecutive free throws scored with 75 for 75 free throws.
Congrats Jose!
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
rmelito is right …
rmelito is right the nets do have the worst fan base beacause us real new jersians love our devils nets suck
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Damn all about the …
all about the raptors this video sucks
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
First let me say …
First let me say this was one of a game! My boy vince Carter came through, but Bosh had a of a game too. It was exciting throughout and theres no need to talk about anything. Vince is no longer a Raptor get over it! Iverson is no longer a seventy sixer, its how the game goes. its a business and we all need to calm down. But i agree the highlights were biased. This is not the end of a good rivarly now! there will be plenty were that came from!
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Yeah and we won the …
Yeah and we won the next game it was like 91 -87 back at your home which is toronto
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
im a die hard nets …
im a die hard nets fan….i see a bright future for my team especially when they move to BROOKLYN nets have the worst fan base but not for long…btw the recap was baised cus these were raptor announcers dumbshits
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
HAHA
LAST NIGHT …
HAHA
LAST NIGHT RAPTORSS KILLLED IT
101-79
TO NETS
mann
good payback
(H)
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
This is a really …
This is a really biased highlights clip
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
man moon is getting …
man moon is getting better with his shots