TORONTO - The Toronto Raptors faced obstacles unlike any other NBA franchise last season, roadblocks so unwieldy that Nick Nurse said they were more like “cement walls.”
And so, when the Raptors clinched a playoff berth with Tuesday’s win against Atlanta, it felt like just reward after a 2020-21 season that guard Fred VanVleet said “sapped the soul” of every member on the team.
“It means a lot,” VanVleet said after Tuesday’s win. “We’ve got to just appreciate the journey . . . (we became) a little spoiled, with just expecting the win and excellence it takes to be good every night in this league.