This is the postseason that Vince Carter has -- as a basketball player -- grown from a boy into a man.

He was clutch in the final games of the Knicks series. He was at his best when scoring 50 points in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, hitting a NBA record-tying nine 3-pointers along the way. Now facing another elimination game, Carter has to come through one more time, tonight at the Air Canada Centre.

The big question: Can he?

After soaking up the accolades following the 50-point game, Carter has not done enough for his team. Sure he scored 25 points in Game 4, but hit just eight of 27 shots. In the Game 5 loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday, Carter took only 11 shots before a backhand slap from Dikembe Mutombo ended his night.

It's true the Raptors were never in Game 5, getting blown out from shortly after the opening tap. But 11 shots? Carter could have at least gone down firing, laying some sort of groundwork for tonight's game.

Carter's not really to blame for Toronto's predicament. The Raptors shot the ball poorly in Game 4 (33.3 percent from the field) and failed to protect the ball in Game 5 (16 turnovers, with 11 in the first quarter leading to 17 Philadelphia points).

And then there's Charles Oakley, who provided the inspiration for the Raptors in the first round when his criticism of Carter woke Toronto's star. Suddenly Oakley thinks he's a point guard, (pushing the ball up the court on a key possession at the end of Game 4, only to get picked by Allen Iverson).

For a guy who has a decent outside shot, Oakley's not shooting the ball (six shots in Game 5, passing up a couple of open looks at the shot-clock buzzer). Now Oakley's criticizing his coach again, wondering why he was on the court during the fourth quarter of the blowout. While it's unclear which of Toronto's free agents will return next season, I think we do know who won't be back.

Despite all the drama and struggles, the Raptors still have a chance to recreate the magic from a week ago. This is a team that, since Nov. 20, has lost just six games in Toronto to Eastern Conference teams. A team that won three of four games against the Sixers during the regular season. A team that, during the course of the playoffs, has at times demonstrated an intense hunger to win.

That can only happen if Carter comes up big. When he gets knocked down, he needs to show the toughness to jump to his feet -- that's what Iverson does. When the outside shot's not working he needs to aggressively attack the basket, maybe get some fouls on Mutombo. More important, when Vince gets the ball he needs to shoot it -- right now 11 attempts just won't do.

On Sunday morning Carter is scheduled to graduate from the University of North Carolina, fulfilling a promise he made to his mother and himself. Tonight he takes an exam as a basketball player, the latest test of his desire to be great.

And if he misses the graduation ceremony on Sunday? Surely Carter won't mind because it will mean he'll be focusing on a Game 7 final -- a final that could help launch him to the head of the class.

Jerry Bembry is covering the NBA playoffs for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at jerry.bembry@espnmag.com.