Raptors in a Familiar Place… And It’s Not Good

The Toronto Raptors are here again.

Down 0-2 in a playoff series.

It’s happened 11 times in 23 playoff series in franchise history. That’s nearly half. And Raptors fans know the feeling all too well.

A 1–9 record in those situations (with the 11th still unfolding).

The only time they flipped it?

The championship run.

Led by Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors dropped the first two games to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Conference Finals, then ripped off four straight wins. They went on to beat the Golden State Warriors for the franchise’s first title.

So now the question is simple:

Do they have that kind of magic again?

We find out tonight.

The Problem Right Now

It’s not complicated.

Turnovers are killing them.

39 turnovers in two games. At this stage of the game, that’s a death sentence.

What makes it worse? This wasn’t who they were.

During the regular season, the Raptors ranked 8th in protecting the ball. Now? Nearly 20 turnovers per game, sitting 15th out of 16 playoff teams.

That’s not just a slump, that’s a complete identity flip.

The Hidden Factor Nobody’s Ignoring

Experience.

And the gap is massive.

Playoff games before the series:

• Raptors entire roster: 115 games

• James Harden alone: 173 games

Read that again.

One player has more playoff experience than an entire roster.

That matters,especially in moments like this.

A Shift Back Home

Now the series heads back to Toronto.

For the first time since the 2021–22 playoffs (when they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers), the Raptors will have a real home playoff atmosphere behind them.

And that crowd? It’s going to bring energy.

The question is whether the team can match it.

Where I Stand

Before the series, I had the Raptors in six.

Hunger. Defense. Grit.

Right now? That confidence has taken a hit.

The inexperience is showing,and it’s hard to ignore.

But with everything on the line…

I’m still taking the Raptors tonight.

Final: Raptors 117 – 109

Not as confident as before,but not ready to jump ship either.

Game Info

Game 3 - Tonight, 8 PM EST AMZN, SNET