A weird vibe, odd rosters, a minuscule crowd — all frequent reminders of the perilous and troubled times in which we live.
It was an NBA game played between NBA franchises in an NBA arena on Saturday night, but to suggest the Raptors against the Golden State Warriors was a true display of professional men’s basketball at the highest level from the best league in the world would be false.
The Raptors placed two key players — Pascal Siakam and Dalano Banton — in the NBA’s health and safety protocols about an hour before tipoff; the Warriors rested six of their top seven players and put a G League-worthy roster on the court.