CAN - Gritty Calderon, Raptors force Game Six against New Jersey

TORONTO (NBA) - Toronto have tasted glory in the NHLs' Stanley Cup and baseball's World Series.

If Tuesday's gutsy performance by Jose Manuel Calderon and the Raptors is anything to go by, the city will one day have an NBA title as well.

Like Rocky Balboa, the Raptors were on the ropes in their Eastern Conference first-round play-off showdown against New Jersey on Tuesday, but Calderon, after starting point guard TJ Ford went down with a first-quarter injury, scored a career-high 25 points to fire them to a 98-96 victory.

The success cut the Nets’ lead in the best-of-seven series to 3-2.

Calderon, a world champion with Spain at last summer’s FIBA World Championship in Japan, razzled and dazzled until spraining his ankle in the final minute. The team held on for the victory as Slovenian international Bostjan Nachbar’s last-second three-point attempt drew iron.

"Finally! We have won the game and the most important thing is that we have played our game,” said Calderon, a player who has been arguably the league’s most improved player in 2006-07 – his second season.

“Personally, I think I’ve played a very complete game. I’ve had to take more shots than I usually do, but the game required it."

Calderon's comments were published on his personal website after the game.

“I’ve had back luck in the last minute when I twisted my ankle, and I think it was down to the tiredness that had built up," he said.

"There were so many minutes guarding (NBA All-Star Jason) Kidd all over the court, and then assuming responsibilities on offence.

“I hope to be good for the next game although I’m not sure yet about the extent of my injury.

“But I’m optimistic, and I think they’ll have to put up with me in New Jersey on Friday."

Toronto took a revolutionary approach to fine-tuning their team last summer when Bryan Colangelo, the team’s general manager, appointed Benetton Treviso’s long-time and very successful GM Maurizio Gherardini as his assistant.

The two then set about utilising Gherardini’s knowledge and European connections to lure some of the best players in Europe, with Calderon having already joined the year before.

The Raptors drafted Andrea Bargnani as the number one pick overall in the 2006 draft and then signed Calderon’s Spain international team-mate Jorge Garbajosa, a tenacious defender and rebounder who possesses an excellent touch from long range.

The club also brought in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Euroleague MVP Anthony Parker.

Garbajosa was playing his best basketball of the season until several games before the play-offs, when he went down with a leg injury that required surgery and ended his campaign.

Even before that, Bargnani had to stop playing for a while after having an appendectomy.

Overall, looking at the performances of the fearless foursome – Calderon, Bargnani, Garbajosa and Parker – Toronto’s plan has to be considered a success.

They have blended in well with the team’s superstar, centre Chris Bosh.

Toronto did lead by as many as 17 points and had to hold on for dear life at the end against the Nets.

But they did hold on.

“We’ve struggled in the last quarter with tiredness,” Calderon said, “but we’ve been able to play like a team and move on.”

Even if Toronto don’t beat the Nets and advance to the next round, they’ve proved they’re no longer one of the worst teams in the league.

The words “futility” and “Raptors” no longer go hand-in-hand.

FIBA