Most Memorable Raptors Games in a Forgettable Season

 We back! Today is mercifully the final home game for the Raptors of the season. They announced most of their players won't be playing including second round rookie Jamal Shead who's out for "rest." Don't get me started, of course it's a good idea to rest a rookie! He needs his energy for Cancun! Anyway, ignoring all of that I thought I could look back on some of the memorable Raptors games this year as a time capsule. I am sure once the good times start rolling again this 30 win team will be long forgotten, so lets immortalize some of its better moments here today. I am going off memory for all of these cause why not, so if I am inaccurate with some stuff it's only because my brain remembered it that way, don't judge me. 

Ja'Kobe Walter Wins it at the Buzzer

Raptors Beat the Magic 114-113 

The beginning of the embarrassing part of the tank! This game was really fun to watch and probably the game of the year for the 2024-2025 Raptors. The Raptors were facing the Magic in Orlando for the second game in a row. They had just won a tight one a couple nights prior that saw Franz Wagner smoke a layup at the end of regulation to secure the win. The Magic were desperate, fighting for their playoff lives and couldn't afford a second straight loss to the Raptors who had, lets say lower ambitions for the rest of their season. The Raptors came out of the gates playing awesome, Barnes, Quickley, Barrett and Poeltl all did their thing to build a big lead heading into the 4th quarter. With about 5 minutes to go in a tight game, Darko got the call from the front office to bench Barnes, Quickley and Poeltl leaving RJ out there with Ja'Kobe and the 2 way guys. For 3 minutes, RJ was carrying the offense so well that it was keeping the Raptors alive, even though they had nothing to throw at Paolo considering they had g leaguers on the floor. So with 2 minutes left, the Raptors took RJ out as well. This lead to the Magic coming all the way back with Paolo hitting some ridiculous shots to get them in that position. This all lead to a final shot down 2 points, with the best player on the floor for the Raptors being 20 year old rookie Ja'Kobe Walter. The play was drawn up for Ja'Kobe to take a 3, he was defended perfectly but went up anyway contorting his body to stay behind the 3 point line and he nailed the shot. Raptors win, they sweep the Magic in the 2 game mini series and they thwart the embarrassing tanking effort that was only the first of many to come. 

This one was cathartic for me. I was so annoyed watching the team deliberately try to throw away a game that they clearly should have won, I felt it was a slap in the face to the fans who decided to watch this team all season. To see a rookie have a moment like that was so cool and made it all slightly more worth it. Ja'Kobe said after the game that he had never hit a game winner in his life before that. Well Ja'Kobe, you're a natural at it, hopefully there's more to come when your organization actually wants it from you!

Chris Boucher Outplays Steph Curry in the 4th

Raptors Beat the Warriors 104-101

BONJOUR!! The Raptors have I think 7 or 8 active players for the final home game tonight, if Chris Boucher doesn't play I am going to riot. This game was the peak Chris Boucher experience and was awesome to watch. Coming into this one, I felt like I'd seen a similar game script all season. The Raptors would play great for 3 quarters then fall apart in the 4th without a true closer. Going into the 4th, this one felt the same. The Raptors were playing the Warriors tight all game and were up 2 going into halftime. By the end of the 3rd quarter and into the early 4th, the Raptors began to blow it and saw the Warriors open up a 10 point lead with around 10 minutes to go. Then Chris Boucher checked into the game. Boucher immediately pump fakes then drives on the closeout for a monster poster dunk to get the crowd going. Boucher catches and shoots for 3 to cut the lead again. Boucher catches and shoots for another 3 to get it even closer. Then at the end of the shot clock a possession or two later, Boucher catches a grenade at the top of the floor and launches another impossible 3 that also drops, at this point the Raptors are right back in the drivers seat of the game. Boucher is the hot hand and has guys flying out to him on pump fakes, he realizes this and uses the aggressive closeout to get a sweet driving reverse layup at the cup. Finally Boucher hits another corner 3 to put the Raptors firmly in the drivers seat. 

This was an awesome one and will be a game I remember Chris Boucher for forever. Chris this season is unfortunately too good to play during the tanking games, too old to play during the development games and just on the cusp of maybe not good enough to play during the trying to win games, leaving him consistently as the odd man out. Despite this, whenever his number is called, he comes in and plays as hard as he possibly can, sometimes with reckless abandon. This game was a perfect example of that, Boucher came in and changed the energy of the entire game. Instead of blowing another well played game, the Raptors found an unlikely closer in Chris Boucher. Unfortunately for Chris, this was the start of a stretch of games where he demonstrated that he's actually a good NBA player, much improved from previous seasons even. Because of this, when the agenda flipped to tank mode, Chris got stapled to the bench. Oh well, we'll always get this glorious game from Chris, BONJOUR!

Raptors take the Celtics to OT

Raptors Lose to the Celtics 126-123

I know what you're thinking, the 3rd memorable game is a loss? First of all that should tell you how forgettable this season really was, second of all I didn't get to watch the Vince Carter jersey retirement game which clearly should be the 3rd one on the list, I had a Halloween party and had to leave right after the ceremony. I do encourage you all to remember that game though, it was memorable, I just missed it. Anyway, this loss was pretty memorable and fun as well! With the Raptors off to a miserable 2-12 start to the year, they headed to Boston to face the defending champs on the road in what everyone was expecting to be another brutal loss. The Raptors ended up delivering a gem, in a game that I distinctly remember 5 months later. The Raptors hung in and went blow for blow with the Celtics for the entire game. RJ Barrett had maybe the game of his life orchestrating everything on offense with 25 points 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a triple double. With RJ going off, you'd think he was the player of the game, but no the best player on the floor for either team that night was Jakob Poeltl. Jak was killing the Celtics with his little floater. His hands, footwork and IQ were on full display finishing with a career high 35 points on 16/19 shooting from the field. What made this game memorable was the ending, a game the Raptors were robbed of by the refs in my opinion. Jakob Poeltl got the ball in transition with the game tied and the clock dwindling, 1 on 1 going to the basket against Jayson Tatum. Tatum reaches across Jakob's body and grabs him, yanking him in another direction, Jakob blows the layup because of the blatant and non-basketball related contact and the refs call nothing. The game goes to overtime where Tatum travels on the game winning 3 pointer, also not called. In my heart, the Raptors won this one. 

This was so fun and I am so mad that we were robbed of a Jakob Poeltl game winner against the champs. I thought that would've been hilarious to see and so deserved for the Raps most consistent player this season. This was also a full display of RJ's improved playmaking which carried on throughout the entire season. While they came away with the loss, this was a fun and entertaining game to watch, which really means something this season. 

And that's that! Like I said, forgettable season but somehow I still had a lot of fun watching the guys. It's a shame they aren't running everyone out there for the fans at the final home game, but mercifully the tank seems to be over after this season and we can get back to meaningful Raptors games in just 6 months. With the playoffs starting soon, my blog is probably going to fill up with other teams and thoughts, but while we still can: go Raptors!