The Raptors yesterday tried to overcome some questionable officiating, some dubious decision making and some bad stretches of play.

Ultimately, what did in the Raptors as they began a difficult three-game trip was Jason Kidd's brilliance and an offence that misfired down the stretch.

Add it up and it resulted in a 98-91 win by the host New Jersey Nets, who rode Kidd's triple-double and a defence that kept the Raptors scoreless in the final 80 seconds.

The Raptors were forced to play catchup almost from the opening tap.

The only time Toronto led came after a Vince Carter three-pointer gave them a 3-2 advantage. From that moment on, the Nets took control, led by as many as 12 points and were up by 10 in the final quarter.