It’s fair to be a tad frustrated with the late start time for Game 7 of this Raptors-Celtics series. The number of times Toronto tends to play after 9pm Eastern Standard Time during the regular season and playoffs is usually very low. Even when they were in last year’s Finals, you could at least count on an 8pm-ish start. It’s been a long day of waiting, is perhaps my point.
On the end of all this waiting, however, is a bright side: the Raptors could use the rest. Owing to the quality of their opponent — yes, I can admit it — Toronto has had to lean hard on their starters, namely the triumvate of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and, of course, Kyle Lowry.