There were many reasons to celebrate at the Raptors game on Monday night, and Toronto ending their seven-game losing streak was just one of them.
On Nov. 18, the Raptors hosted Canada Basketball night at Scotiabank Arena as they faced off against the Indiana Pacers, celebrated the Toronto Argonauts championship win, and watched as RJ Barrett made franchise history as the first Canadian to score a triple-double.
The Toronto Argos showed off their hardware
Just one day after defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup on Sunday night, three members of the Toronto Argonauts sat courtside at the Raptors game, with the gleaming Grey Cup in tow.
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Argos Most Valuable Canadian Dejon Brissett was in the arena, along with linebacker Wynton McManis and wide receiver DeVaris Daniels, who all joined the team in the locker room for post-game celebrations.
Toronto’s RJ Barrett makes history
Canadian basketball star and Raptors forward RJ Barrett made history last night as the first Canadian in franchise history to score a triple-double.
The 24-year-old Toronto native returned home to play for the Raptors in 2024, after playing four seasons for the New York Knicks.
Barrett, whose father Rowan Barrett is the General Manager of the Canadian Men’s Basketball team, also represented Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympics this past summer.
Scotty Barnes and Bruce Brown dressed as cowboys
Injured Raptors forward Scotty Barnes replicated teammate Bruce Brown’s classic cowboy look on the sidelines last night, wearing a Canadian tuxedo and cowboy hat.
Canadian basketball stars under one roof
The Indiana Pacers are home to two Canadian stars: Montreal’s Bennedict Mathurin and Aurora’s Andrew Nembhard, who also represented Canada at the Olympics this past summer.
Mathurin made his mark in Toronto last night, dropping a team high score in the game as he poured in 28 points.
Pascal Siakiam, a beloved former Toronto Raptor who was a part of the 2019 championship winning team, returned to the arena last night as he suited up for the Pacers and scored 25 points.
When asked in a post-game interview about returning to the familiar Scotiabank Arena, Siakam gave a candid response.
“Obviously, it’s a special place for me. But at the end of the day, the more you go, the more the years go, [there’s] less and less cheers. You know, move on. It’s life,” Siakam said.
The Raptors next play on Thursday Nov. 21 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scotiabank Arena.
