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No Leonard, no Lowry for Raptors’ pre-season home debut

There is something unique about Toronto Raptors crowds at home games, and there was a sense that the team’s first appearance of the 2018-19 pre-season might have had a few very special moments.

And then the Raptors went and ruined it themselves.

Vancouver fans got a close look at Raptor Kawhi Leonard long before the Toronto faithful will. Leonard put up 12 points on the Trail Blazers in 19 minutes at Rogers Arena last Saturday.

The loud and boisterous crowd — however large it was for a pretend game against an unknown entity in Melbourne United from Australia — would have had its first chance to show its appreciation for Kawhi Leonard and, yes, start a season-long selling job on the free agent to be.