No one was certain a couple of hours before tip-off whether OG Anunoby would play for the Raptors on Thursday night, and nobody was making any bold predictions on how he might look if he did.
If he could give the Raptors a few minutes here and there, keep up with the pace, play some defence and not hurt the team, his mere presence would be a plus.
It was that. And more.
Returning after missing 15 games and sitting idle since the NBA all-star break in early February, Anunoby helped stabilize the Raptors offensively and defensively as Toronto registered a significant victory, beating the Cavaliers 117-104 at the Scotiabank Arena to pull into a tie for sixth place in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.