“24 seasons in the making…the Toronto Raptors are heading to their first NBA Finals.” Almost one year later and Matt Devlin’s proclamation still energizes the Raptors fanbase. The road to get to an Eastern Conference championship was a tumultuous one. When the Raptors became a franchise in 1995, they were low on the totem pole…
It was a whirlwind of 24 hours for Fred VanVleet. Before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, VanVleet was on his way back to Rockford, Illinois, to be with his family for the birth of his second child, Fred Jr. Being with family was exactly what the Raptors point guard needed. In a critical…
Kawhi Leonard was not going to be his usual dominant self. He had played 52 minutes in a double-overtime win for the Toronto Raptors in Game 3. Given that the Eastern Conference Finals was played every other night, the Raptors superstar needed time to recover. Down 2-1 in the series, the Raptors needed to win…
There were several important games for the Toronto Raptors in their playoff run towards a championship. Game 3 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals is on a pedestal of its own. With the Raptors down 0-2 to the Eastern Conference-leading Bucks, they were once again searching for answers. It was similar…
Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse was blunt in his assessment of his team’s Game 2 performance against the Milwaukee Bucks. “We didn’t do much well tonight.” As the Raptors traveled back to Toronto after losing 125-103 to the Bucks, they were in a similar position as they were against the Philadelphia 76ers. Down in…
If Kyle Lowry was already considered the greatest Raptor of all time before the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, then Game 1 of that series cemented his status. Right from the opening tip, the Toronto Raptors were playing with the energy and intensity of an underdog team against the Eastern Conference’s leading…
What goes into producing an iconic sports moment? Something that hasn’t been done before? Yes. A context that produces immense anticipation? Absolutely. Paving the way for greatness to follow? No doubt about it. All these facets are what make Kawhi Leonard’s Game 7 buzzer-beating shot against the Philadelphia 76ers one of…
Game 6 of the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers was a microcosm of the entire series. A roller coaster. The Sixers started the game with a 7-0 run before the Raptors responded with 10 straight points to go up 15-13 in the first quarter. Philadelphia went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead and…
In Game 4, Joel Embiid flashed his “airplane” celebration towards the Toronto Raptors. Game 5 happened to be the opposite. The fans inside Scotiabank Arena were mimicking the airplane, as Embiid walked off the floor. The Raptors took flight in Game 5 with their most dominant game of the series. A 125-89 victory over the…
Let’s be honest. Kawhi Leonard had a litany of memorable playoff moments for the Toronto Raptors last season. Ranking Kawhi’s best games during the Raptors championship run is challenging. The superstar made an impact whenever he was on the floor. One cannot describe Leonard’s Raptors legacy without talking about “The Shot” in…
As Joel Embiid did his signature “airplane” celebration, the Toronto Raptors had every reason to be concerned. Kawhi Leonard fatiguingly walked to the bench after a 33-point performance in 36 minutes played. Pascal Siakam suffered a calf contusion that put his Game 4 status in doubt. Fred VanVleet, a pillar of the Raptors secondary scoring,…
Kawhi Leonard had another 30-plus point performance. Kyle Lowry made two clutch threes late in the fourth quarter. The Raptors, down 19 points, cut the deficit to one with less than a minute to go. Despite the numerous Raptors surges, the Sixers slammed the door shut every time. Philadelphia’s 94-89 victory evened the series at…