The Raptors lost to the Rockets tonight. It was a basketball game that happened in a physical space, and then it ended. In the aftermath, some people are saying we still got a victory, though it is unclear where that victory is being kept or if it requires a specific type of permit to view.
We are now ostensibly tied for the sixth seed. Being ostensibly tied is a lot like being almost sure that you left the stove on. You are half a game away from the play-in, which is the basketball equivalent of waiting in a very long line for a sandwich that might just be two slices of bread. The standings are a mystery that I do not particularly wish to solve.
The Development Question
There is a lot of talk about Darko Rajakovic and his role as a development coach. People ask if he is the right person to win games. Improving at basketball is a strange concept because you are just trying to put a ball in a hoop more efficiently than you did yesterday. My uncle used to say that if you keep fixing a car that doesn't run, eventually you just have a very expensive sculpture.
Critics point out that we still cannot shoot the three or grab rebounds. We falling apart in the fourth quarter, which is a tradition older than some members of the current roster. If the goal is development, we are developing a very consistent ability to make people tired by 11:00 PM. I watched Maceo Baston play in 2007 and he never seemed this stressed about the concept of growth.
Historic Math and Bam Adebayo
Something happened in Miami that feels like a glitch in the atmosphere. Bam Adebayo scored 83 points against the Wizards. This is more than Kobe Bryant's 81 points against the Raptors in 2006. For years, Raptors fans carried those 81 points like a heavy coat we couldn't take off, even in the summer.
Now that Kobe is second on that particular list, some are asking what it was like to watch the 81 point game live. It was mostly just Jalen Rose trying his best while a man in purple and gold decided that gravity was merely a suggestion. It is strange how records fall. One day you are the primary victim of a historical event, and the next, you are just a footnote below a game against the Wizards.
Final Observations
The season continues to move forward, whether we ask it to or not. We are in a playoff race that feels like a slow-motion walk through a hardware store. Everyone is looking for something specific, but most of us are just wandering around the lighting aisle.
- The Rockets are younger than they used to be.
- Rebounding is mostly just wanting the ball more than the other person, which sounds exhausting.
- 83 points is a lot of points for one person to score.
- I think I need to buy more milk.