Dark days of getting blown out might be over for rebuilding Toronto Raptors
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By taking advantage of a wounded opponent, while also earning a sense of redemption, Wednesday’s 110-97 Raptors win over the reigning-champion Boston Celtics had an undeniable layer of symbolism.
The timing was perfect given that the tip marked the official mid-way mark to the season for the Raptors, who improved to 10-31.
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Dark days of getting blown out might be over for rebuilding Toronto Raptors Back to video
When Toronto visited Boston on New Year’s Eve, the Celtics handed the visitors a 54-point loss — a franchise-record for a Raptors team celebrating its 30th season.
The debacle also marked the moment when the Raptors had officially hit rock bottom after being blown out in Memphis — where the host Grizzlies lit up Toronto for 155 points — followed by a woeful home performance against Atlanta when the turnover-prone squad yielded 136 points.
But after Wednesday’s win over the Celtics, and as the season’s second half officially begins Friday night in Milwaukee against the Bucks, the days of the Raptors being wiped off the floor seem to be over.
Granted, the Celtics were far from their best. They were held to 39% shooting on a night they heaved 46 three-pointers — precisely half of their shots — and made just half of their free throw attempts.
Boston is 7-7 in its past 14 games with four of those defeats at home, where last year the Celtics lost a combined four games,
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Since Dec. 19, the Celtics have shot just 45.6% overall (23rd in the NBA) and 34.2% from beyond the three-point line (25th).
The Celtics were also healthy and well-rested after narrowly beating the 10-win New Orleans Pelicans in Boston.
“I thought we had no spirit, with no personality as a team,” said Kristaps Porzingis said following the loss in Toronto. “It’s weird to say. We have high character people, but things are not going our way. We’re a step slow here, there.
“Just no spirit, no personality.”
In contrast, the 10-31 Raptors did show spirit and personality, even with starting point guard Immanuel Quickley not playing.
But to even suggest this team has turned a corner would be foolish because another ugly loss could arrive as early as Friday night.
Back-to-back wins over Golden State on Monday and Boston while encouraging, do not wipe away all the blowouts and blown assignments on both ends of the floor in crunch time that led to losses. Back-to-back wins do inject enthusiasm, while providing tangible rewards for a team that has shown more fight than capitulation.
But these short-term gains won’t mask the big-picture goal of accumulating the best lottery odds for this year’s draft, even as the Raptors aim to win three games in a row for the first time, which also would result in only their second road win.
The Raptors sport the NBA’s fourth-worst record. In terms of lottery odds and landing the consensus No. 1 pick in Duke’s Cooper Flagg, they have a 12.5% chance of selecting first overall for the second time in franchise history.
Expansion rules prevented the Raptors from picking first in 1996, when the club won the lottery.
As for this year, the team’s fourth-place position does carry a 48.1% chance of picking in the top four in the June draft.
“The goal of rebuilding is to win,” said RJ Barrett following the Boston win. “And the point of rebuilding is to get to the point where you’re winning.
“And so you try to win every time you’re on the floor, no matter what.”
It sounds good in principle, but in the NBA, teams looking to add talent win by losing because it enhances their draft slot.
In an early-season overtime loss to the host Celtics, Barrett recorded a triple-double while in Wednesday’s decisive win, he came two assists shy of the feat.
The Raptors were physical and forceful against the Celtics, the kind of approach they must somehow take on the road.
It has also been said that defence travels. In the case of the Raptors, someone should remind them, knowing how woeful they have played when venturing onto the opponent’s home court.
The Bucks enter Friday night’s contest on the heels of a 122-93 home win over Orlando, which allowed Milwaukee (22-17) to take over fourth place in the East ahead of the 23-19 Magic.
Milwaukee shot a season-high 62.5% from the field in the win with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo combining to score 56 points on 24-for-34 shooting.
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