Toronto Raptors eliminated from post-season, but optimism is high

Optimism is high among fans for a young squad that showed flashes of brilliance.

TORONTO — It was intended to be a season of building, without lofty expectations.

And when the clock ticked down on Toronto’s season on Thursday, done in by a horrible 132-97 rout by Philadelphia in Game 6 of their opening-round playoff series, the Scotiabank Arena crowd serenaded the Raptors with chants of “Let’s go Raptors!” and a standing ovation.

Optimism is high among fans for a young squad that showed flashes of brilliance. The team, which was playing with house money after digging a 3-0 playoff series hole, is optimistic as well.

“It’s weird to be in such an up-in-the-air season where nobody thought you were going to be any good, but you know you are good — it was kind of free basketball so to speak,” veteran guard Fred VanVleet said.

Added guard Gary Trent Jr.: “We’re barely scratching the surface of what we can do, what we can become.”

After losing perennial all-star Kyle Lowry to Miami last summer, most picked Toronto for a play-in berth at best.

But building around two all-stars in VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, and bolstering the lineup by drafting rookie Scottie Barnes, a superstar in the making, the Raptors won 48 games in the regular-season to clinch the No. 5 seed, and won a league-best 14 of 18 games down the stretch.

VanVleet said the team will carry loftier expectations into next season.