There were 24 seconds remaining in the first half when Alvin Williams stole the ball and slipped it to Vince Carter.

It had been a lousy second quarter for the Eastern Conference leading New Jersey Nets already but it was about to get worse. They brought a six-game winning streak to Toronto and had led by four after the first 12 minutes. But in the second period, the Nets had been limited to just 12 points and now they were in peril of falling behind by seven.

Carter looked back toward the Toronto bench where coach Lenny Wilkens was frantically waving one finger in the air, signalling Carter to hold the ball for one last shot. Carter glanced up at the clock and waited high out on the right wing.

With seven seconds left, Carter made his first move toward the corner. Within three strides he had beaten Jason Kidd to the corner and now he was cutting to the basket where seven-footer Todd MacCulloch waited.

One second Carter was there. The next he was soaring, leaving McCulloch earthbound, one-on-one with ... air.

Then the ball crashed through the hoop and everyone in the building turned to the next person for verification. Did you see that?

It was just one play but it was a defining moment for the Raptors, accurately describing a new level of raw intensity that has been part of their game all too rarely this year.