Somebody from the Raptors brain trust has got to lose patience soon. The defence is atrocious in crunch time. Just an adjustment period? Baloney.

Even the return of Vince Carter after seven games on the mend couldn't get the Raptors out of their prolonged funk.

For the better part of three quarters, Toronto looked as if it was ready to ride Carter's return to its first victory since before the all-star break two weeks ago. They were shooting better than 50% from the floor, including 42% from three-point land.

Then, as the SuperSonics closed in for the kill, all the demons of the last two weeks overwhelmed the Raptors' fragile self-confidence. In one five-minute stretch early in the fourth quarter, the Raps missed eight shots in a row as Seattle ran away on a 21-4 run, burning Toronto at both ends of the court.