It is a constant fight against human nature that the Raptors wage.
Most nights they win that battle; they resist giving in to taking the easy route, they overcome the mental fatigue that comes in a long NBA season, and they give themselves an honest chance to win.
It’s what they pride themselves on, letting hard work — which is not much more than being consistently on point in the mental aspect of the game — define them, regardless of who the opposition is or who is available any particular night.
“I kind of would like to say we’d like to play up a tick or at a certain energy or effort anyway,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said this week.