It is an animal unique to itself in professional sports, taught and full of pressure and anxiety. And no matter what any participant says, the idea of playing not to fail is pervasive.
Game 7s are special, they are telling and how the Raptors respond Sunday afternoon will be fascinating to watch.
They have been through the gauntlet before — two weeks ago — and coach Dwane Casey think that stands them in good stead.
“I thought we were a little tight going into Game 7 (against the Indiana Pacers) because of the history and the number of years that we hadn’t advanced out of the first round, but I don’t sense that in this round,” Casey said on a conference call Saturday.