This isn’t the first time the Toronto Raptors have been good. There have been a few — not a lot, but a few— good years before this one. There was a second-round battle 15 years ago that ended in heartbreak. There have been 48- and 49-win seasons that ended in disappointment. There have been superstars who have risen, then left and reintroduced the city to heartbreak. After 21 years of varying degrees of disappointment, the Raptors have finally met expectations.
With their 116-89 win over the Miami Heat in Sunday’s Game 7, the Raptors are where the optimists thought they could be as their 56-win season unfolded.