“I would say a year ago we’d have probably lost the game,” said Dwane Casey during his first appraisal of the Raptors’ needlessly close 103-98 win over Charlotte on Friday.
For those forgiving enough to look past the Raptors’ uneven fourth quarter that nearly allowed the Hornets to steal a win in very Hornetsy fashion, Casey’s post-game elevator pitch is what should be the lasting impression of Toronto’s 45th win of the season.
If you wanted to show a Raptors-ignorant person one game from this season in order to properly display the ways in which the team has altered its identity, Sunday’s win would probably be on the short list of options.