By taking advantage of a wounded opponent, while also earning a sense of redemption, Wednesday’s win over the reigning-champion Boston Celtics had an undeniable layer of symbolism.
The timing was perfect given the tip marked the official mid-way mark to the season for the Raptors, who improved to 10-31.
When Toronto visited Boston on New Year’s Eve, the Celtics handed the visitors a 54-point loss — a franchise-record for a Raptors team in the midst of celebrating its 30th season.
The debacle also marked the moment when the Raptors had officially hit rock bottom after getting blown out in Memphis, where the host Grizzlies lit up Toronto for 155 points, followed by a woeful home performance against Atlanta when the turnover-prone Raptors yielded 136 points.
The days of being wiped off the floor seem to be over as the season’s second half officially begins Friday night with a date against the host Milwaukee Bucks.
Revenge, it has been said, is a dish best served cold.
The 35 dishes on 45 makes told the story Wednesday, which turned into a cathartic experience for the Raptors.
To even suggest the team has turned a corner would be foolish because another tough loss may arrive as early as Friday night.
Boston was held to 39% shooting on a night it heaved 46 three-pointers — precisely half of its shots. The Celtics made just half of their free throw attempts, too.
Boston is 7-7 in its past 14 games with four of those defeats at home, where last year the Celtics lost a combined four games at TD Garden.
Since Dec. 19, the Celtics have shot just 45.6% overall (23rd in the NBA) and 34.2% from beyond the three-point line (25th).
The Celtics were healthy and well-rested after narrowly beating the 10-win New Orleans Pelicans in Boston.
Following their loss to the Raptors, Jayson Tatum — who did not attempt a single shot in the fourth quarter — offered an expletive-filled analysis on the state of the team.
Kristaps Porzingis was less biting, but his words nonetheless resonated.
“I thought we had no spirit, with no personality as a team,” Porzingis said. “It’s weird to say. We have high character people, but things are not going our way. We’re a step slow here, there.
“Just no spirit, no personality.”
In contrast, the Raptors have developed some spirit and personality, even without starting point guard Immanuel Quickley.
Ochai Agbaji did leave Wednesday’s game with hand injury and did not return after receiving three stitches.
Back-to-back wins over Golden State and Boston while encouraging, do not wipe away all the blowouts and blown assignments on both ends of the floor in crunch time that led to losses.
Back-to-back wins do inject enthusiasm, while providing tangible rewards for a team that has shown more fight than capitulation.
These short-term gains won’t mask the big-picture goal of accumulating the best lottery odds for this year’s draft, even as the Raptors aim to win three games in a row for the first time, which also would result in only their second road win.
At 10-31, the Raptors sport the NBA’s fourth-worst record in the NBA. In terms of lottery odds and landing the consensus No. 1 pick in Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the Raptors have a 12.5% chance of selecting first overall for the second time in franchise history.
Remember, expansion rules prevented the Raptors from picking first in 1996, when the club won the lottery.
As for this year, the team’s fourth-place position does carry a 48.1% chance of picking in the top four in the June draft.
The inevitable mid-season grades will be handed out, which remain an exercise in redundancy and irrelevancy.
Of the 10 wins posted, two came at the expense of the Indiana Pacers, both at Scotiabank Arena.
There were wins against Philadelphia, Sacramento, Minnesota, Miami, Brooklyn and the past two against the Warriors and Celtics. The lone road win came in New Orleans.
In the combined fourth quarters against Golden State and Boston, the Raptors outscored their opposition 51-38 by allowing a combined 14-for-41 shooting.
“The goal of rebuilding is to win,” said RJ Barrett following the Boston win. “And the point of rebuilding is to get to the point where you’re winning.
“And so you try to win every time you’re on the floor, no matter what.”
It sounds good in principle, but in the NBA, teams looking to add talent win by losing because it enhances their draft slot.
In an overtime loss to the host Celtics, Barrett recorded a triple-double while in Wednesday’s decisive win, he came two assists shy of the mark.
They were physical and forceful against the Celtics, the kind of approach the Raptors must somehow take on the road.
It has also been said that defence travels. In the case of the Raptors, someone should remind them, knowing how woeful they have played when venturing onto the opponent’s home court.
The Bucks enter Friday night on the heels of a 122-93 home win over Orlando, which allowed Milwaukee (22-17) to take over fourth place in the East ahead of the 23-19 Magic.
Milwaukee shot a season-high 62.5% from the field in the win with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo combining to score 56 points on 24-for-34 shooting.