Toronto evened the Eastern Conference Semi-finals with Boston 2–2 after a convincing 100–93 victory. — Now THAT was the Toronto Raptors we’re used to seeing! For the first time all series, the Raptors outscored the Celtics in the first quarter. While Boston played valiantly to keep the game close, there never was a sense that they could ever catch the Raptors. …

Most of today’s NBA players have one man to thank for a skill they use several times each game. He wasn’t a perfect man but he deserves some love and a call from Springfield. — Tim Hardaway was short in height but never short on impact. The 6'0 guard spent his college years dominating the competition for the University of Texas El-Paso Miners. In his graduating season, he was the WAC player of the year, named to First Team All-WAC, and won the Frances Pomeroy…

Raptors fans have been collecting receipts all season and answering cold takes with each passing game. — This is not your typical story. The protagonist is not a ‘he’ or a ‘she’, but a ‘they.’ Raptors Twitter is a community of (somewhat) like-minded Raptors fans. They agonize over the lack of recognition, celebrate drawn charges, and debate the merits of their 8th man. It’s a collective that…

Before Nikola Jokic revolutionized the position, Chris Webber opened the basketball world’s eyes to the passing big man. — It’s been said that sports fans typically pick their favourite athlete or team in their adolescence. For me, it was the Michigan Wolverines and the Fab Five. With Chris Webber leading the group of trash-talking, baggy shorts-wearing freshmen, it was easy to fall in love with his game. …

Did you know the Toronto Raptors outscore opponents by an average of six points whenever Kawhi Leonard is on the court? Did you know that I have published over 15,000 CMS rules over the last three years? What do either of those numbers mean? …