The Raptors lost to the Cavs on Friday night, 102-101, as an OG Anunoby fadeaway and a missed put-back attempt both rimmed out. It ended their win streak, and even featured a blown second half lead that probably never should have been blown. But whether you were watching on TV or taking it in among the 20,000 lunatics that brought playoff-level mania to Scotiabank Arena on Friday night, the loss really isn’t the important thing, heartbreaking as it may have been in the moment.
Nah, what mattered on Friday was literally everything other than the final score. This was about the Scottie Barnes-Evan Mobley showdown, the continued expansion of OG Anunoby, and the first earnest use of Money City Maniacs in crunch time in Toronto in 20 months; it was about the vibes of a Friday night home game with something resembling stakes.