Here are 10 takeaways from the Toronto Raptors’ 114-106 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
One — Resilience: No matter how shorthanded they are, the Raptors just simply cannot be counted out. They’re almost like the Spurs of yesteryear, where the system is so solid that they produce results even without their top players. Nick Nurse is short four of his top eight players, and yet the Raptors have ensured themselves a winning record on their toughest road trip of the year, and came a quarter short of being undefeated on the West Coast. It’s too early for award speculation, but Nurse is at worst a top-three candidate for Coach of the Year.