The Nets trailed by 18 in the third period. But Carter and Devin Harris, who left the game in the third with a stomach illness and returned to make the Raptors sick, wouldn't let the Nets lose.

Booed and harassed all night, Carter scored 18 of his team-high 39 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

His long three with five-tenths of a second left in regulation forced the extra period and his alley-oop slam off an in-bounds pass from Bobby Simmons with 1.9 seconds left was the game-winner.

Harris added 30 points, including 23 after the third period for the Nets, who can even their mark at 6-6 with a win tonight at home against the Clippers before heading west for four games.

Chris Bosh led everyone with 42 points and Andrea Bargnani had 29 for the Raptors.

Carter played brilliantly and saved his best for last. The score was tied 127-all after an Anthony Parker three.

After a timeout, Carter went to the basket and Simmons found him with a perfect side lob that Carter threw down with his back to the basket.

When he left the court, a small group of fans were screaming "good job" to Carter.

In the overtime, a Carter jumper gave the Nets a 113-111 lead, their first since the first period. Bosh scored on the other end to tie it and give the Raptors a 116-113 lead with 3:30 left after a corner jumper that resulted in a three-point play.

The Nets tied it as Harris hit a jumper and was fouled. It stayed 116-116 until a Bosh offensive rebound resulted in an Bargnani three with 2:28 left. Moments later, Carter hit a jumper to make it a one-point game.

After misses by both teams, Bosh buried a 20-foot jumper from straightaway to make it 121-118 with 1:30 left. A Jarvis Hayes' three tied it eight seconds later.

Hayes then came up with a steal and Harris knocked down a 17-foot jumper from the right wing to give the Nets a 123-121 lead with 45.9 seconds left.

The Nets needed a big defensive stand and were fortunate to get one as Bargnani missed an open three-pointer. Then Hayes stole the offensive rebound from Bosh and Harris was fouled with 19.1 seconds left. He was 1-of-2 for a 124-121 lead.

On the ensuing possession, Bargnani back-rimmed a three.

Keyon Dooling made 1-of-2 from the line. Then Bosh drilled a three with 5.0 seconds left to make it 125-124. The Raptors intentionally fouled Hayes, who made both with 4.6 seconds left.

It appeared the Nets would foul, but Parker got free coming around a screen and tied the game 127-127 with a baseline three with 2.1 seconds remaining.

With Harris leading the way in the fourth, the Nets stormed back to tie it 93-93 with 6:20 left.

They had three chances to take the lead but were unable to convert. In fact, the Nets missed seven consecutive shots after tying the game. It was amazing they sent the game into overtime.

They were down 108-101 with 39 seconds to go. But after a Carter three and five-second violation by Toronto, another Carter basket made it 108-106.

Later, the Raptors had a chance to ice the game when Anthony Parker went to the line with 3.2 seconds left and Toronto leading by two. But he missed the first. His second made it 111-108.

Following a 20-second timeout, Carter nailed a 27-foot jumper with half a second left.

The fourth opened scarily for the Raptors as Jermaine O'Neal was fouled by Sean Williams and seemed to turn his left knee, which he has had surgically repaired.

But he got up, and took the two foul shots ? missing both ? before leaving and going to the locker room. He never returned.

E-mail: iannazzone@northjersey.com