LIVEBLOG: GAME 5, RAPTORS 98, NETS 96

FIRST QUARTER

9:26, Raptors lead 7-5: The small-ball look has the Nets off-balance, but New Jersey knows it's knitted themselves a fairly thick security blanket and very well could be laying back. Andrea Bargnani, the cursed gifted one, has scored all seven points from the centre spot, on three different moves.

7:23, 13-5: Are we sure that's not the Raptors still in red? New Jersey is settling for faint-hope shots from outside and head-down drives to the basket. Chris Bosh has come up with two blocks, and the Nets for a change are the first team to burn a timeout.

7:06, 13-6: Just like that, Bosh gets his second and sits down (Vince Carter went 1-of-2 at the line).

Here's why people take issue with Sam Mitchell's coaching style: The Score just put up a graphic showing a quote which begins, "No one ever got me ready to play." That's all well and good, but since when is every player the same? Coaching basketball, where you have a near 1:1 ratio of support people (coaches, etc.) to players, means dealing in personalties.

4:30, 20-6: Yes, you read that right. The Nets look disinterested and Bargnani seems to have worked out his issues -- he's got 10.

3:27, 23-11: Carter is the only player the Nets have going, other than Jason Kidd. He's scored eight of 11, and no doubt he got a good laugh out of one courtside fan's Wince Farter sign. Strange how he plays well on the road when his team's fallen way behind.

2:30, 28-11: Sweet monagoose, what is happening here? Bargnani just pump-faked a Net into press row, and calmly canned another three. Since Bosh sat down the Raptors have been on a 15-5 run.

End first quarter, Raptors lead 33-13: Other than T.J. Ford being shaken up in a collision with Carter while going for a loose ball -- and throwing the ball out of bounds on an ill-conceived kickout pass moments later -- the Raptors are making all analysis redundant. The Nets are a smart, veteran ballclub and can adjust to this, but 20 points is a lot to make up against a team who's playing on adrenaline. The first four minutes of the second quarter will go a long way toward deciding if this ends tonight.

Man, the Raptors could come back to win this series.... don't go talking crazy.

SECOND QUARTER

9:44, 33-20: The Nets, no dummies, have drawn some fouls and got to the line to cut into the lead, bringing Bosh back into the game. (The Raptors outscored Jersey 20-14 while he was cooling his heels.)

8:40, 37-22: That's three fouls for Jason Collins, one of the Nets' bigs. Joey Graham drew the call, which combined with a dunk he just had, means he's done more tonight than in their first 3 1/2 games combined.

5:47, 42-29: Mikki Moore is having a bad day for the Nets -- he's been T'd up and has some running feud going with the refs. Being down big has led Lawrence Frank to change his lineup for the first time all series, with Marcus Williams and Kidd on the court together.

T.J. Ford (three points, seven minutes) has a "stinger" and will not play again tonight. It's Jose Calderon's show, so a 13-point lead might be a big enough cushion.

4:01, 46-31: Morris Peterson's made a couple big plays, forcing Carter to lose his dribble out of bounds and getting a layin to finish off a fast break following a Calderon steal.

2:02, 53-37: The open shots are coming way too easily for the Nets, especially Bosh (three) and Joey Graham (four) both in foul trouble. Fortunately for the good guys, Richard Jefferson just missed badly on an open three that would have cut the margin to 10. MoPete finishes with a three in transition for a six-point swing.

HALFTIME, Raptors lead 59-42: Break out the Gone Drinkin' sign. The Raptors are up 17 at half despite Bosh scoring just two points in his nine minutes on the floor, so all the better to hit the bar before it all goes boom in the fourth quarter or in Game 6 on Friday (especially if Ford cannot play).

Toronto is hard-pressed to win this series, but you have no idea how much we would like to share those last two quarters with a half-lit Bruce Willis. There was just no way this series could end that quickly.

THIRD QUARTER

7:22, 63-50: Never noticed this till now, but Bryan Colangelo has bags under his eyes that he never had when he was running the Phoenix Suns.

5:56, 65-52: It's a nervous time, with the Nets coming on and the Raptors starting to settle for jumpers again on offence. By the way, a friend told me he paid $343 for a group of four tickets for tonight's game. Did he realize he was paying that to see Bob Delaney referee? Chris Bosh just got his fourth foul.

4:11, 69-60: Thankfully, Vince Carter can't make a foul shot in Toronto -- but it's in single digits for the first time since midway through the opening quarter.

2:50, 71-60: If this Mo Peterson's final home game, he's having a good one. His midrange jumper, after Carter missed a half-assed layup try, stretches the lead to double digits again.

1:24, 77-63: Never, ever, complain about the Raptors dominating a game to the extent it didn't warrant analysis, since even this 14-point lead doesn't feel safe so long as No. 5 is dribbling down the court for the Nets. It's been mostly Calderon (19 points, eight dimes) and Mo Peterson (eight of his 13 points this quarter) maintaining the lead. They'll have to do it for about five more minutes before Bosh can return to the floor.

End of third quarter, Raptors lead 79-67: Break out the rosary beads, even if you're not Catholic. Just in case, eh.

FOURTH QUARTER

11:36, 79-69: Darrick Martin fills in at the point for all of 24 seconds and one turnover -- they were going to get Adnan Virk, The Baller, to fill in, but apparently he didn't bring his court shoes.

10:05, 81-71: Fortunately for the Raptors, Bostjan Nachbar's shooting stroke didn't make it through Customs, since he just missed a three to cut the margin to five. Jose Calderon blithely shoots the J right in the face of Jefferson, who's only four inches taller.

8:50, 85-71: Calderon hits two more baskets... Bosh is back on the floor with four fouls after a New Jersey timeout. The Raptors increased the lead by one in the time Bosh was on the bench.

7:23, 85-79: Anyone feeling like they have no idea how to close out this game? New Jersey's thrown in a quick eight points since the timeout -- hey, it's not like the Raptors are allowed to anticipate what adjustments that Nets might have had in store. Oh, wait.

6:39, 87-81: Would you believe Bosh is at the line for the first time tonight? (He makes both.)

3:59, 93-88: Kidd makes one of his few mistakes, trying to a throw a tricky pass that's too much for Jason Collins to handle. The ball goes out of bounds.

2:46, 95-88: The foul shooting's been a saviour -- Toronto's 22-for-25 on the night and 8-for-8 in the quarter. That and Nachbar's absence have been the difference.

1:28, 95-88: MoPete just fouled out -- not too long ago he never would have played enough minutes to get six fouls, so he deserves the standing 0. Chris Bosh missed a chance at a follow reverse dunk that might have put the game away.

Andrea Bargnani, meantime, didn't do a half-bad job of guarding Richard Jefferson in a key situation -- RJ had to pass off once, then missed from the baseline on the next trip.

:50.8, 95-91: Juan Dixon is going to come off the bench for the first time all half to get another ballhandler on the floor. Does it seem like Bosh is really lusting for an ESPN moment -- he's missed a dunk and just got called for goaltending after swatting a layup attempt.

:27.6, 95-94: Down goes Calderon! Jose turned his ankle on the drive, lost the ball and, wait for it, Carter hits a three to make it a one-point game. We're officially out of point guards. There was no foul on the play. No way the referees would call Jason Kidd for a foul there anyhow.

:16.8, Raptors still lead 97-96: There'll be a deliberate foul coming up after Moore gets the tip-in -- both Bargnani and Bosh played Carter on the drive and no one was left to rebound. You know, it's really no surprise it's come down to this. Fortunately, Sam Mitchell did know enough to make his guys shoot practice free throws when they're tired.

Bosh makes 1-for-2, so incredibly -- well, not that incredibly -- New Jersey has a chance to win in regulation. They get it to Nachbar, who hasn't been shooting well, and it's off. Raptors control the rebound, and it's over -- a near three-hour game.