Raptors on a roll

Yes, you're looking at that right. The Toronto Raptors have won eight of their last nine games. Sure, they're still in last place in the Atlantic division, but the Raps are finally doing the things winning teams do on a consistent basis - namely, play defence.

Over their last nine games, the Raps are holding teams to 90.4 ppg, nearly nine points lower than their points allowed season average of 99.2 ppg. I'm not sure what has inspired the Raptors to hunker down on the defensive end, but it's exciting to watch.

Last night's game against Portland was basically a blow out after the second quarter. As a Raptors fan, I expected the Raptors to do Raptors-like things to make this game more competitive - you know, stop playing defence, start taking too many threes, and start giving up offensive rebounds. However, the Raptors seemed to get stronger as the game progressed. Players were sprinting out to their defensive rotations, the Raps had decent ball movement, and Amir Johnson was even making plays like this.

Toronto's schedule will continue to be kind to them. The team has five games remaining on their six-game home stand, most against mediocre teams, with the exception of the Thunder. If the Raps can win their other home games, they'll have a record of 16-21. Still nothing impressive, but a stark improvement from their 4-19 start.

This next video has nothing to do with the NBA, but it's absolutely ridiculous. I have to post it.