The Raptors just beat the Detroit Pistons 119 to 108. Brandon Ingram had 34 points, RJ Barrett had 27, and Jakob Poeltl had 18 rebounds. Poeltl grabbing 18 rebounds is a lot of work, physically speaking, for a Monday night in March.
A fan traveled all the way from Hungary to see this game. That is roughly 7,000 kilometers just to watch a large man from Austria battle a large man from Detroit for a leather ball. I hope they found a decent place to eat after the game, though everything in the city usually closes at a time that feels inconvenient.
Choosing Our Own Demise
People are already looking at the playoff matchups for the top four seeds. We have a winning record against the Cleveland Cavaliers this year (3 and 0), which seems like a lie, but the internet says it is true. James Harden is there now, and his history in the playoffs is often a topic of conversation at family dinners.
Donovan Mitchell is also there and he generally plays basketball like he is late for a very important flight. Then there are the Knicks and the Celtics, who have beaten us seven times combined this season. Those matchups feel less like a competitive series and more like a very long, loud chore.
Defensive Accolades and Ancestry
There is a discussion about whether Scottie Barnes can win Defensive Player of the Year. He averages three "stocks" per game, which is a term people use to combine steals and blocks. Victor Wembanyama is also alive and playing basketball, which makes winning any defensive award difficult for anyone else.
Speaking of defensive legacies, someone recently pointed out that Russell Westbrook has a great uncle who played for the Boston Bruins. It is unclear how this helps the Raptors, but it makes you think about genetics. I once had an uncle who claimed he could jump over a Honda Civic, but he never actually did it while anyone was looking.
Going Forward
The schedule says the team plays the Bulls on March 18th. Chicago is a city with a lot of wind and a specific type of pizza that is more of a casserole. We are currently 38 and 29, which is a record that suggests we are good, but perhaps not quite "Hungarian tourist" good.
We will keep watching because that is what we do here. Watching the Raptors is a lot like checking the mail. Most days it is just flyers and bills, but every once in a while, you get a check or a postcard from someone you actually like.