Raptors news: Raps clinch play-in, Fred VanVleet joins Wilt Chamberlain

The Toronto Raptors, buoyed by a serious comeback performance out of star point guard and leader Fred VanVleet, were able to take down the Charlotte Hornets 128-108 in a Sunday matinee. This also brought a very climactic end to a very taxing time in this Raptors’ season.

Amid a painful stretch that pits them against some of the best teams in the league, Toronto can finally exhale after clinching a spot in the play-in tournament. The Brooklyn Nets taking down the Utah Jazz at home helped them officially secure their spot in this tournament. VanVleet’s record-setting 20 assists and 36 points from Pascal Siakam were the main facilitators in Toronto’s dominant showing.

If the season ended right now, the Raptors would host a win-or-go-home game against the Chicago Bulls, whom they have beaten twice this season. While they would lose out on home-field advantage if they get to the No. 8 seed and face off against the Miami Heat, they could lose that game and advance if they take down the winner of the 9/10 game.

More Raptors news

• After Fred VanVleet set a new Raptors franchise record with 20 assists in a single game, he joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history that hold their franchise’s record for both points and assists in a single game. Anytime you are mentioned alongside Wilt, you’re doing something right on the court.
• Nick Nurse said that OG Anunoby suffered a “mild, mild sprain” in Toronto’s win against Charlotte, which had to be a real kick in the gentleman’s area for this team after he was on fire from 3-point range. Luckily, it doesn’t seem like this injury is something that will linger.

NBA news

• While the newest CBA includes multiple changes that could be very good for teams that don’t end up in the luxury tax, Draymond Green of the cash-plentiful Golden State Warriors said that this deal is a significant loss for the players. Green said that teams in the middle or end of the payroll scale are there because they choose not to spend rather than being limited by external factors.
• The consensus top NBA Draft prospect Victor Wembanyama reminded all the worst teams in the league why they have performed so poorly this season, as the 7-4 dynamo was able to throw down a putback dunk from his own missed 3-pointer. The tanking becomes understandable when you see that,