The NBA playoffs are an animal unto themselves, with heightened intensity on every possession in every game and the possibility of wild swings in emotion from night to night. There are series to be survived as much as there are series to be won, a monstrous physical grind and a mental challenge that only the heartiest-minded teams can get through.
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse and the veterans on his team know from experience what they will need to carry them through what is certain to be a difficult series against the Philadelphia 76ers, starting Saturday evening.