Blake Murphy Sports Writing

There are some things the Toronto Raptors can’t control right now. There are other things they are in control of every night. In a 112-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, both groups were on full display.

What the Raptors can control, night to night, is the level of their effort and intensity. After laying an egg in the season opener, the Raptors bounced back Friday with what head coach Darko Rajakovic characterized as out-teaming the Philadelphia 76ers. Some nights, against a shorthanded team like Philly, that and a few good performances may be enough.

Against a fully healthy and rested Wolves team with championship aspirations, it wasn’t. That doesn’t mean the evidence of that energy level isn’t notable. On the second night of a back-to-back and still down five players, the Raptors played every bit as hard as Rajakovic is asking them. They defended hard. They kept a larger Minnesota team off the offensive glass, for the most part. They hit the floor for loose balls.