After five months marked by one bad break after another, the Nets’ fortunes have swung a rather dramatic reversal of late.

It started with the late-season injuries to Washington’s two All-Stars, which allowed the Nets to pass the Wizards in the standings and draw Toronto in the first round. And it continued on Tuesday, when the Nets’ opponents lost both point guards to injury and now face a road elimination game minus their primary ballhandlers.

The Raptors’ misfortune was the main highlight of an unimpressive 98–96 Game 5 defeat for the Nets. Yes, they had a shot to win at the buzzer after Toronto point guards T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon had limped off the court, but with Raptors All-Star forward Chris Bosh limited by fouls and the Raptors down to veteran retread Darrick Martin at the point, New Jersey should have taken advantage to close out the series.

That they didn’t is attributable largely to their effort in the first quarter … or rather, the lack of it. The Nets took the court like a team that thought it had already won the series, only to realize the error of their mistake when the first stanza ended with Jersey facing a whopping 20-point deficit. To their credit, the Nets rallied to make a game of it, but by starting so meekly they effectively handed the Raptors a get-out-of-jail-free card in a closeout game.

They had another shot coming, though, and in the same Continental Airlines Arena where they blasted the Raptors to smithereens twice last weekend. Thus, the Nets figured to have the upper hand, even before the injuries, on Friday.

But now, there can be no question. Not with Ford unlikely to play after Vince Carter fell on him during Game 5, causing a scary neck “stinger” for a player who missed the entire 2004–05 season because of a bruised spinal cord. Ford has a condition that causes a narrowing of the spinal column, spinal stenosis, so any hit in that area is worrisome, and the Raptors are likely to err far on the side of caution when selecting a return date. That could be as early as Friday, but considering he’s experienced numbness in his arms and shoulders it wouldn’t shock me if it wasn’t until autumn.

Calderon’s case is slightly more optimistic after he turned an ankle while trying to drive on Jason Kidd late in Game 5 — a double whammy that resulted in both a turnover and, when Calderon couldn’t run back on defense, a crucial Vince Carter 3-pointer.

Neither player practiced this week but Calderon insists he’ll give it a go Friday night. But there’s a difference between suiting up and being 100% healthy — just ask Richard Jefferson. Even if Calderon plays, it remains to be seen how much damage he’ll do or how many minutes he can provide. Calderon, who scored 25 points to lead Toronto to victory on Tuesday, is heavily dependent on his speed, so if the ankle compromises his movement at all his effectiveness will suffer greatly.

Obviously, the injuries are a huge benefit for the Nets. The Raptors’ two-headed point guard tandem has been giving them fits all series, burning New Jersey for a combined 28.2 points per game on the series.

Moreover, the Raptors’ thirdstring point guard is a huge step down from those two. Martin, a 35-year-old veteran, is a prince of a guy who is valued for his locker room presence, but he was a marginal player even in his prime, and that era passed eons ago. It’s also been a decade since he shot over 40% in an NBA season, giving the Nets even more reason to swarm Bosh.

Another option for Toronto is Juan Dixon, a 6-foot-3-inch shooting guard who usually doesn’t play the point because he’s a poor dribbler and a reluctant passer. However, he can shoot, and the injury may give the Raptors an opportunity to play him more — poor defensive match-ups have taken away most of his minutes at his usual position.

Whether it’s an aging Martin, a limping Calderon or an out-of-position Dixon, expect the Nets to rely heavily on pressure and trapping. Look for Toronto to shift gears quite a bit as well. The Raptors have been running a steady diet of pickand-roll plays with their speedy point guards, but that option may be limited or absent entirely tonight. As a result, look for more clear-outs for Bosh and side pickand-rolls for wingmen Anthony Parker and Morris Peterson.

Before the injuries hit, the big Game 5 story for Toronto was another personnel move — the insertion of rookie Andrea Bargnani into the starting lineup, replacing Rasho Nesterovic. The move seemed to take the Nets by surprise, as they repeatedly left the Italian 7-footer open on the perimeter and he repeatedly burned them with his sweet stroke — he was 6–for–6 in the opening quarter to give the Raps their commanding lead. Having Bargnani in the wings should also open up more room for Bosh, although that wasn’t an issue in Game 5 since he spent so much time in foul trouble.

On New Jersey’s side, the focus is on avoiding overconfidence because of the Raptors’ misfortune. While New Jersey has proven it can win games in Toronto’s arena — they took one already and have had a great shot in all three — the history of road teams in seventh games is daunting. Thus, the Nets would be well advised to take care of business tonight and avoid a seventh game north of the border on Sunday.

Fortunately, they should be able to pull it off. Even if Calderon plays and is reasonably effective, the Raptors have seemed a step slow and a scorer short throughout the series. That’s been particularly true in the Swamp, where Jason Kidd turned back the clock and ran Toronto into the ground in Games 3 and 4. Realistically, it would take a monster game by Bosh to send this one back to Canada, and he hasn’t shown that capability against the stout defense of Jason Collins and frequent doubleteams by Kidd and company.

Instead, expect New Jersey to finish off their neighbors to the north and book a trip to Cleveland, where LeBron James awaits. Sorry Nets fans — no lucky break there.

jhollinger@nysun.com