Last night the Raptors beat the Celtics after a stirring comeback in the second half. At one point Toronto was down 16 points (in the second quarter); later they faced a nine point deficit in the fourth. There were stretches that looked mighty grim. Until, that is, a couple of Raptors — mainly DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas, with an assist from Kyle Lowry — decided to put the team on their metaphorical backs and save the day.
Before the game, the word “rivalry” was tossed around — mostly by reporters — in relation to the nascent competitive grudge between Boston and Toronto.