Week 16 saw the Toronto Raptors post a fourth straight week without a loss, injuries unable to slow the champs down. With players needing to step up, who made the top five performances list this week?
Another week, another perfect record. This seems to be the norm these days for the Toronto Raptors, as they have now won 14 straight games, surpassing the previous franchise record of 11 straight victories. What has made these performances even better than those of the past is the fact that Toronto continues to pile up wins despite numerous injuries to key rotation players. Without the services of Norman Powell, Marc Gasol, and Kyle Lowry, the Raptors had to prove to Nick Nurse that they could pick up the slack and did not disappoint.
The Raptors’ first matchup of the week was against a feisty Indiana Pacers squad.
Indiana, while still integrating Victor Oladipo back into its lineup, remain a tough out in the Eastern Conference and currently occupy a playoff spot in the standings. Although it appeared like the game was slipping away from Toronto, Nick Nurse’s men down by as many as 19 in this one, they battled back and wound up stealing a victory that probably should’ve went the other way.
Toronto’s next matchup was a rematch against the Pacers, but this time the game was being played in Indiana. The crowd was hyped and tried lifting the Pacers up, but the result was the same as the previous game, a Raptors victory. While both Pascal Siakam and Lowry were banged up, Toronto kept its winning streak alive.
The last matchup of the week came against a Brooklyn Nets team playing without Kyrie Irving. While it is true that Irving makes Brooklyn a better team, the Nets were not just going to roll over for the champs. Backed by Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie, they gave the Raptors a great fight. In the end, Toronto squeezed out another close victory that pushed the win streak to 14 games.
As a fan of this team, you can’t help but feel proud. The Raptors have built a juggernaut, their depth is allowing them to continue to win games despite injuries. This team continues to impress and is rapidly gaining recognition across the league as a team to be reckoned with.