
The Toronto Raptors are unlike most people, who are sad the weekend is over, because they lost a pair of games on the road against the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks.
The Raptors should be happy that their tough times are behind them, especially now with five consecutive games at the Scotiabank Arena. The two losses come after the team won nine straight contests, a mark that had not been seen in nearly six years.
While the Raptors may be coming down to earth, these next couple of games could define how they truly are as a team. It isn't always about how far you go, but what happens after you fall down.
At the beginning of the season, the Raptors went 1-4 in their first five games. They followed that with some adjustments that led to them winning 13 of their next 14 games.
It's clear that the Raptors can learn from their mistakes and play better than they have over the last two games. They now need to prove that once again.
It's typical for a regular season consisting of 82 games to have highs and lows, but the Raptors were riding a high that saw them win for nearly three weeks straight.
The one hope the Raptors have is that RJ Barrett, who has been dealing with a knee sprain for the past week, could be returning to the lineup very soon. The offence is clearly not the same without Barrett as they have only scored an average of 103 points per game in the four matchups he has missed.
The Raptors were also held under 100 points in two of those four games. They were able to beat the Indiana Pacers, but there was no way that total was going to be enough against the Knicks, one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Raptors should be returning home and could have a very honest and open film session and practice that could lead to some breakthroughs in these next couple of games. Three of the five opponents on the homestand have records better than .500, so the Raptors will be tested throughout the next week or so.
The homestand begins tomorrow against the Portland Trail Blazers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.
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