Raptors might've pulled off the most hilarious win in franchise history

Absolute madness. Those are the only words I can use to describe the Raptors vs. Magic matchup on March 4.

After Toronto managed to squeeze by their Floridian foes on March 2, they came right back for more, and somehow, in arguably one of the most absurd shots sunk in Raptors history, the young cats managed to get the job done... again.

Everyone in Raptors nation has been trying to figure out: "Will they, or won't they, tank?"

Well, given how the Raptors have been formulating strategies and making coaching and rotation decisions lately, I don't think it could be any clearer that Toronto is trying to lose. And yet, by some divine miracle, they were still able to beat the Orlando Magic, despite their star cornerstone, Paolo Banchero, balling out with 41 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds.

Raptors pull off another massive upset over the Orlando Magic

Toronto would opt to sit out their core starters, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Jakob Poeltl, in a game that was coming right down to the wire no less. In addition, Toronto would lose the services of sophomore Gradey Dick in this game, as he would recover from a "sit-bone contusion."

Instead, gracing the court was a combination of inexperienced players, including two-way and undrafted talents. And in the final sequence, it was the Raptors' rookie, Ja'Kobe Walter, who yelled "KOBEEE" to send Orlando packing. Hats off to AJ Lawson as well, who was responsible for a couple of big shots that swung the momentum in the Raptors' favor.

The boys were ecstatic to see the up-and-comer get his moment in the spotlight. However, it's undeniably a bittersweet celebration, considering they basically orchestrated all the stars to align in favor of a loss. I guess it just goes to show that the basketball gods have quite the sense of humor, eh?

Moreover, I find it amusing that Scottie Barnes recently told the media he doesn’t care about tanking and is determined to win at all costs. I still believe that’s his true motivation; however, ultimately, it’s the front office and coaching staff who have the final say. In this instance, Barnes willingly sat on the sidelines with his co-stars, as it seemed almost inevitable that a loss was the outcome Toronto was aiming for.

I really can't tell if this is just a stroke of ironic luck meant to throw a pie in the Raptors' face or if the Magic are simply not cut out to beat the Raptors squad this season (Toronto has bested Orlando in the 2024-25 series, three games to one).

Regardless of where you might stand on this stunning victory, I'm sure most Raptors fans still had quite the smirk on their faces while watching it all go down. And to both of you gents, AJ Lawson and Ja'Kobe Walter, no one can take away this night when these two youngsters were the Raptors' most important players down the stretch.