The Toronto Raptors were missing Jonas Valanciunas, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, and Danny Green. They were a shell of themselves. They didn’t start a center and played without one for more than two-thirds of the game. It didn’t matter. Despite their immense disadvantages, Toronto found a way to earn a victory.
Yes, it was against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers are terrible. But earning a win without four of your top six players is a tall task, no matter who the opponent is.
Toronto never trailed. After jumping out to a ten point lead in the first six minutes, the margin hovered between 5-10 points for nearly the entire game.