To the surprise of many, the Toronto Raptors have been one of the most consistently successful teams in the NBA this season. They handle opponents lower than them in the standings (a continuing trend from the previous two seasons) and put up great fights against the league’s contenders.
Sometimes, though, you just get punched in the mouth.
That’s what happened tonight as they took on the rival Celtics — an opponent that looked poised to make a statement from the opening tap. Toronto’s top players were unable to make open shots early, and then couldn’t work their way out of their funk later, eventually slipping far enough to trail Boston by 40.