The Raptors didn’t get an awful lot out of a tough western road trip, at least not for now.
But a team that’s as concerned about growth and improvement and salvaging some good out of a season gone awry, they leave California feeling pretty good about themselves.
Yes, they are still outside the Eastern Conference play-in picture with only six games left in the regular season but even a 105-100 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers had enough promising signs that there was a good feeling and not one of dread in the aftermath.
The loss was the third in four tough games against Denver, Utah and the two Los Angeles teams and in the zero sum world of pro sports, that’s not good enough.