#toronto-raptors

#toronto-raptors

Upon getting eliminated from the Emirates Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday, we knew the Miami Heat's next opponent would be the loser of the other East quarterfinal between the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks. As a result of the Knicks' 117-101 win, Miami will square off against the Raptors. And the game will be on Monday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m. EST, the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson first reported Tuesday evening.

Toronto has now lost two straight games and four out of its last five games since the nine-game win streak, as they've been hit with the injury bug, losing starter RJ Barrett for over a week now with no return date in sight. The Raptors don't seem to match up against the Charlotte Hornets well, as their most recent loss came against them in a Friday night blowout.

Ginger Baker was a brilliant drummer and, if reports are to be believed, something of a mess of a man. He blended rhythms like a fusion restaurant and was one of the best drummers in the world in the 1960s, even joining former bandmate Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton in supergroup Cream. He once slashed at Bruce with a knife during a show. He was a brilliant drummer and a troubled man.

That may not have happened, as hoped, but the Raptors put Mount Olympus on notice, surely earning the respect of the West - we are no fluke now. However, Toronto has seen last night's story play out many times. An underdog Toronto team keeps fighting, gets close to pulling an upset, and then gets its heart stolen and stomped. What seemed like a game that would go into overtime ended in regulation as Rui Hachimura cashed the buzzer-beating corner 3.

When Toronto was awarded an NBA franchise in 1994 and it chose the team name, "Raptors," the initial public reaction included plenty of mockery. But kids like dinosaurs, and Jurassic Park had just been released in 1993, so the jerseys sold well. The kitsch factor perhaps overshadowed the silliness of a name that truly had nothing to do with the city of Toronto.

But over their last three games it's come plummeting back to earth in a big way. Having averaged 100 points even over that stretch as Brandon Ingram's miraculous shot-making has dried up and in the absence of RJ Barrett, Toronto dropped its second straight - after of course winning nine consecutive previously - in a 116-94 wire-to-wire loss to the New Yorks Knicks on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

Things looked pretty bleak after a modest 2-4 start in October, raising doubts about their winning prospects. However, they flipped the script dramatically, starting November with three straight wins before a tough loss to the 76ers on November 8. That setback was followed by nine consecutive victories, which definitely put the Raptors on the NBA map as a team to watch -though for some, it only deepened questions about whether Toronto is a true contender.

Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett have been stellar in their roles to start the year. Both have been efficient and a critical part of the team's early-season success. Poeltlis shooting a mind-boggling 73.3% from the field and helps initiate the offense with rock-solid screens. Barretthas continued to thrive as a crucial offensive option in the team pecking order, putting up almost 20 points (19.4) per game on quality efficiency.

I personally learned that lesson right after buying my first car. Before you ask, it was nothing serious - the only injury suffered was to my ego. I had hardly driven since getting my licence, so a midnight cruise after bringing the car home felt right. The longer I drove around the empty neighbourhood streets, the more comfortable (overconfident) I felt, and the more pressure my foot applied on the accelerator.