Toronto bitter after Raptors end season with blowout loss to Cavs
Well, that was fast. The Raptors officially ended their most-recent quest for an NBA championship last night with a 128-93 loss against the Cavs in Cleveland.
It wasn't pretty, but it was merciful in the sense that Torontonians never really had the chance to get their hopes up, I guess.
We’d like to thank the Toronto @Raptors for their participation in the 2018 NBA playoffs. You guys were adorable. pic.twitter.com/2rWj2LzsG8
— Big Apple Browns Backers of NYC (@bigapplebrowns) May 8, 2018
Fans weren't overly optimistic going into Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal — not after watching Toronto inexplicably lose the first three games of the series.
LeBron James, who earned the nickname "LeBronto" for our city by eviscerating the Raps in Game 2, has time and time again proven impossible to beat.
LeBron James vs. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry IN THE SERIES! Wow. #Cavs #Raptors #WhateverItTakes #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/L7sAoVGKtj
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) May 8, 2018
The Raptors, on the other hand, are known for choking in the playoffs, especially when LeBron (who I think might be part robot or a low-key Monstar) is involved.
Not even some of the best Raptors we've ever seen in regular season play can take down the mighty LeBrontosaurus, it seems, and Toronto is both sad and ticked.
How The NBA feels about the Toronto Raptors pic.twitter.com/TX40UwtsPk
— L.O.W. (@LegendOfWinning) May 4, 2018
Some (okay, lots) are blaming the NBA's referees for setting the Raptors up to fail.
The #Raptors lost Game 1 by one point in OT and Game 3 by two points at the buzzer and the refs/calls favoured the Cavs in both games, so let’s not pretend these were blowouts. If you think otherwise, you’re just a worthless troll.
— Patricia Cancilla 🏒 (@PatCancilla) May 6, 2018
This is far from the first time NBA refs have come under fire for appearing to have some sort of beef with Canada.
Pregame footage..
— Chris ⚾️ (@JaysTrain2Reign) May 8, 2018
NBA refs meet with LeBron. #Raptors #WetheNorth pic.twitter.com/mD1ocJ6NtR
Others were simply sad about the way this season ended.
Heading into the playoffs, the Raptors were the top seeded team in the Eastern Conference.
Losing in a four-game sweep to the Cavs feels extra harsh when our team was on fire just weeks ago.
Lebron isn’t beating the #Raptors, he’s destroying the morale of an entire country 😞😞😅 #CLEvsTOR
— Bryan Carr (@HurtsHouse) May 3, 2018
Adding insult to injury, last night's 35-point loss was the worst margin of defeat in an elimination game by a #1 seed against a lower seed in the history of the NBA.
Thanks for that gem, stats people.
If you’ve ever wondered if GOAT’s can cry, well tonight you got your answer. Stay proud @Raptors, we’ll get ‘em next year. #WeTheNorth #HesNotTheGOAT #IamTheGOAT pic.twitter.com/cjlcky5xF9
— Juicy The #GOAT (@Juicy_TheGOAT) May 8, 2018
Regardless of the outcome, Toronto remains a team to watch by most sports analyst's accounts. We also have the best mascot in the NBA and probably always will.
Maybe next year is Toronto's year. Maybe LeBron will decide to retire.
Until then... uh, baseball?
