Joshua Howe Articles - Page 3

On the first night of a back-to-back, the Toronto Raptors played like it was the second. For the first time this season, they detoured from their gritty, we-work-harder-than-you-do identity, allowing the Boston Celtics to outplay them (and out-hustle them) in most every way. “It sucks, always, when that happens,” OG Anunoby told reporters post-game. “You […]

It was the prototypical rollercoaster game. The Toronto Raptors’ performance against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon had everything—high highs, low lows and some straight-up bizarre turns, particularly in the final frame. But the most important element of the game (Pascal Siakam’s return) thankfully landed in that first category, signaling the start of better things […]

The Toronto Raptors led for all but 4.8 seconds. Unfortunately for them, those 4.8 seconds were the last few of the game, and saw the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers sneak out a gutsy win at Scotiabank Arena on the back of some impressive performances from Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Rookie of the Year candidate Evan […]

It was a night of old school meets new school, and the result for the Toronto Raptors was picturesque. On one side of things, it was probably the most complete game Fred VanVleet has ever played as he emulated the ghosts of Raptors legends past. On the other, it was a team comprised of mostly […]

There are no two ways about it—this is completely out of my comfort zone. As a proud Libra, I am infamously a lukewarm take specialist. There is no topic which I cannot fall into a middling opinion on, and that’s largely because resorting to extremes rarely provides a coherent and useful portrait of the matter […]

The Toronto Raptors (read: Huskies) and New York Knickerbockers played (one of) the first NBA game on this day 75 years ago. And goodness, did both teams deliver quite an anniversary performance, with threes raining down from the heavens, snapping mesh like the clashing of cymbals. Bing bong! Ultimately, Toronto came away on top in […]

After squeaking by the Orlando Magic thanks in part to a heads up defensive play by Gary Trent Jr. at the buzzer Friday night, the Toronto Raptors found themselves in another tight one (after letting another late lead slip) against the Indiana Pacers on the second night of a back-to-back. This time, the heroics came […]

It wasn’t easy, but the Toronto Raptors survived Friday night against the Orlando Magic to eke out a 110-109 victory and regain a .500 record. For a game that would appear on the surface to not be particularly exciting, this one had plenty: a highly anticipated rookie-on-rookie matchup, another test against a team with size, […]

If there was ever a flicker of doubt Fred VanVleet would be the heir apparent to Kyle Lowry when it comes to leadership and tenacity, Wednesday night’s game should have extinguished it. For the first time in his career, VanVleet recorded a double-double with rebounds, grabbing a career-high 10 boards against the Indiana Pacers. He […]

The last time the Toronto Raptors won at home, in Scotiabank Arena, was on Feb. 23, 2020. That changed on Wednesday when they smacked the Indiana Pacers to the tune of 118-100, garnering masterful performances from Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and rookie Scottie Barnes, who continues to exceed expectations in all facets. “When we’re playing […]

When a player has fallen out of favour with Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, he makes no concerted effort to hide it. Such is the case with Malachi Flynn, who was taken 29th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft and who showed some bright spots amid a dismal year in Tampa that saw the […]

DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors killer. That’s a strange phrase to let rattle around one’s mind, but even stranger to witness in practice. And yet there it was on Monday night, with DeRozan returning to Scotiabank Arena for the first time as a member of the Chicago Bulls–drilling high-difficulty shot after high-difficulty shot down the stretch […]

When OG Anunoby is playing to the level he’s capable, the Toronto Raptors ascend to a different stratosphere. After a magnificent preseason in which he looked primed to sprint into a star-turning year, Anunoby has struggled to find that same consistency in regular-season play. The reasons for why this is the case, of course, have […]

Well, that was fun. After getting handled easily by the Washington Wizards on opening night, the Toronto Raptors bounced back against the Boston Celtics on Friday with a 115-83 victory that saw pretty much everything go their way. Here are three key takeaways from the game that are also simply things to keep an eye […]

The Toronto Raptors’ opening night wasn’t without its teachable moments against the Washington Wizards. Both off the floor and on it, Toronto’s homecoming debut was filled with excitement, disappointment, and a few things in between. What follows are some things we learned, gleaned from players, coaches, and jumbotrons. Nerves existed for “The Return” Whether a […]

It was the first game back after 600 days away. In some ways, that was enough. The Toronto Raptors were playing basketball in Scotiabank Arena, on Canadian soil, and they had a crowd of true blue fans roaring for them at every given opportunity. The game itself was less satisfying—the Raptors looked disjointed and altogether […]

As the NBA preseason ends, take note: Three years ago, in the midst of the playoff destruction of what was then the greatest season in Toronto Raptors history, there was a still point. The rhythmic, desperate hum of Game 2 of the 2018 series against the Cleveland Cavaliers fell away, and there within the silence […]

For years, the Toronto Raptors were constrained by equal parts flawed talent and the presence of LeBron James. Though it’d be unfair to blame former head coach Dwane Casey, he was the one who paid the price. With James gone and an upgraded roster, the Raptors opted for a proactive approach. In many ways, the […]

Jonas Valanciunas, they said, was a dinosaur. And not in the hokey he’s on the Toronto Raptors sense of the word, either. Players of his ilk were supposed to be extinct; relegated to museums and the end of the bench during fourth quarters. A center who can’t stretch the floor or anchor a defense isn’t […]