The Toronto Raptors were up against it on Monday night. They were on the road, without three members of their rotation (losing a fourth just minutes into the contest), and on the second night of a back-to-back. Not to mention, they were facing off against one of the NBA’s premier teams, the Los Angeles Clippers. If there was ever was an example of a “schedule loss,” it was the Raptors game on Monday night.
But someone forgot to tell Toronto. Rather than coming out with a defeatist mentality, the Raptors jumped off to an incredible start. They looked particularly locked in defensively, holding Los Angeles to just 15 first-quarter points, en route to an early eight-point lead.