RAPTORS-NETS GAME 3...

It's taking every bit of patience not to start throwing stuff (plus we're at work and that would generally be seen as uncool).

The Raptors are down 32-15 after one quarter. It's the same old gag — lax officiating, no passion from the Raptors (witness no defence, no rebounding) and slow defensive rotations that are making it easy for New Jersey to hit open shots. Chris Bosh is putting up 15-footers since there's no ball movement on offence; everything is herky-jerky.

(UPDATE, 9:42 p.m.:: It's 97-66 with seven minutes and change left. By the way, for a while there TSN was no longer showing the time/score graphic. It's obviously a technical problem, although one has to half-wonder if MLSE ordered them to turn it off because it's so embarrassing.

Yes, we've heard several players were slowed by illness. That's why a team employs nutritionists.)

It took all of three minutes for it to sink in that there wasn't a chance in hell they had any idea how to win this game. Explain again how Sam Mitchell should still be coach next season? Losing is one thing, but getting outplayed and outcoached in the first 12 minutes like this something else entirely.

No one said this would be easy, everyone expected a tough drawn-out series, but the Raptors are going down with barely a fight. Vince Carter has already thrown down two alley-oops from Jason Kidd -- ever heard of a calling out a screen, fellas? Worse yet, the haters and dilettantes who wouldn't know a pick-and-roll from a dinner roll are going to say, "Told you so." It's always easier to play the cynic, right?

Again, it's a young team, and Gilbert Arenas' injury upset the apple cart in the Eastern Conference. If Arenas doesn't go down, Washington possibly wins the Southeast Division and faces the Bulls in the 4-5 quarter-final instead of the Miami Heat (and would have probably done about as well). The Raptors would have had Miami, and it all would have been different. Oh, well, it's probably better to be finding out that they're not that good.

When the Raptors are in the NBA Finals three years from now and Vin Weasel is dragging down his next team, all this will be forgotten.