The Toronto Raptors opened their NBA title defense with an overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on banner night up north.
Raptors Get Their Championship Rings
It was banner night in Toronto as the Raptors got their championship rings. They also unveiled the championship banner that will forever be displayed at Scotia Bank Arena.
They opened their season against a young New Orleans Pelicans team that was playing without Zion Williamson. The rookie from Duke injured his right knee and underwent surgery. He is expected to be out 6-8 weeks. That didn’t seem to slow them down to start as the Pelicans showed a lot of fights. They actually went into the halftime break with the lead put a damper on the party atmosphere to some extent.
The Raptors Fight Back to Force Overtime
The Toronto Raptors weren’t going to go down without a fight and managed to come back in the second half. They cut a five-point halftime deficit in the third quarter and went into the fourth with a two-point lead. The fourth quarter was a back and forth affair with neither team able to take control.
In overtime the Raptors took over, outscoring the Pelicans 13-5 in the quarter. Fred Van Vleet made a big shot in the overtime period to help put the game away.
Van Vleet Get Career High on Ring Night
Fred Van Vleet has come a long way after not being drafted. He talks a lot about betting on himself and his gamble has certainly paid off. He was a clutch performer during the Raptors run to the title. He started off the playoffs horribly but never doubted himself and when he got going, he never looked back.
He was a major factor in the Eastern Conference Finals and in the NBA Finals. His run last year will have him in Raptors forever and scoring a career high on ring night is a sign that he isn’t done yet. He keeps going from strength to strength and he gives the Raptors a fantastic scoring option off the bench. His ability to share the court with Kyle Lowry is crucial to this team’s success.
Pascal Siakam is Now the Franchise Guy
After signing a brand new 4 year $130-million-dollar deal, Pascal Siakam is now the face of the Raptors franchise. Even before the deal it was obvious by his play last year that it was going to be his team. That fact became official once Kawhi signed with the Clippers. The display that Siakam put on tonight should have Raptors fans very excited.
He knew the world was watching and he came up big. Siakam scored 38 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and dished out 5 assists. Even Kawhi Leonard would be impressed by such a ridiculous stat line. He looks very ready to be every bit the superstar this Raptors team needs. They might not be an NBA contender without Kawhi but with Pascal looking the way he did, they will get a chance to defend this first NBA title once the playoffs are back around.
