We’re running it back because they can’t.

With the National Basketball Association on hold for the foreseeable future, TSN and Sportsnet are airing the entirety of the Toronto Raptors’ playoff run to the 2019 NBA title. You can watch Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night on Sportsnet at 8pm et.

Over these 24 games, fans can relive the highs and lows – there were lows, but you just might not remember them – of that magical run to the franchise’s first-ever championship, capping a remarkable turnaround from NBA laughingstock to the league’s very best.

From Kawhi Leonard calling the series against the Philadelphia 76ers, to the team improbably overturning a 2-0 series deficit against the Milwaukee Bucks, to that famous June night in Oakland when the Raptors got their hands on the Larry OB, you can relive all 24 games that made the Toronto Raptors NBA champions.

May 2, 2019 – Eastern Conference semi-finals Game 3 – Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers
 
After a dominant 45-point outing in Game 1, Kawhi Leonard was back to his usual magnificent self for the Raptors in Game 2. The problem? He didn’t get much help.
 
Despite scoring 35 points – including 20 in the second half – only two other Raptors scored in double figures as they were beaten 94-89 by the 76ers at Scotiabank Arena. Pascal Siakam was second on the team with 21, but it took him 25 shots to get there on a rare inefficient night for Siakam.
 
On the flip side, Jimmy Butler poured in 30 to go along with 11 rebounds and led the way for the Sixers, who were playing with a clearly limited Joel Embiid. The big man entered Game 2 as a game-time decision while battling the stomach flu and finished with 12 points on seven shot attempts.
 
It was a sluggish start that hampered the Raptors in Game 2. Outside of Leonard’s 15 first-half points, the rest of the team shot 9-of-36 from the field and 3-of-15 from deep, only managing 38 points at the break. Meanwhile, the 76ers out-rebounded the Raptors 33 to 13 in the opening frame. Not ideal by any means.
 
Things got better throughout the second half, but they weren’t good enough. The Raptors shot just 27 per cent from the three-point line and were destroyed on the boards 53-36.
 
They know they’ll have to do better once the series shifts to Philly for Game 3.
 
"They came out more aggressive than us," point guard Kyle Lowry said after the loss. "We didn't come out aggressive enough. We didn't come out with a super sense of urgency. And we didn't play well tonight. They played really desperate and super hard and they got a victory."
 
Sixers coach Brett Brown thought the opposite of his team.
 
"I thought our defence at the start of the game was almost as good as it could be," he said.
 
With things tied 1-1 in the series, now it really gets interesting. Game 3s tend to be crucial in a seven-game set and usually reveal a pretty good look at the winner.
 
The history of past teams and series has little to no impact on this year’s Raptors and 76ers’ Eastern semi-final showdown, but the percentages show when teams are tied at one game apiece, the winner of Game 3 goes on to win the series a lopsided 73.5 per cent of the time (169-61).
 
For the Raptors, they’re 1-4 in series when trailing 2-1 and 4-1 when ahead by that same margin in a best-of-seven. For Philadelphia, it’s even more drastic. The Sixers franchise is 2-18 when falling behind 2-1 and 14-6 when leading.
 
One area the Raps have excelled is holding the trio of Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris in check. The Sixers made quick work of the Brooklyn Nets in Round 1 thanks in large part of the play of these three. The scoring averages of Embiid (24.8 to 14.0), Simmons (17.2 to 10.0) and Harris (17.6 to 11.5) are all drastically down from a series ago.

Still, Toronto has work to do.
 
"I think adversity is always good," Siakam told reporters. "We won Game 1, but at the same time we knew it wasn't going to be an easy series."
 
Game 3 could go a long way toward showing what kind of series it will be.

Here's what TSN's basketball analysts had to say about Game 3:

Rod Black:

“The "what the hell just happened game" ...

The Raptors could not have picked a worse time to play their worst game of the playoffs. If it wasn't for Kawhi, this would have been an abomination. The only resistance the Raps offered was a Cameroonian “kick down” between Pascal and Joel. To borrow an Eagles term - this was a “Philly special”. From A.I. hamming it up in the front row with Meek Mill, to a Monster windmill and Embid trying to become the first 7 foot basketball player in space, the Raptors got “Processed”. Loved the scowl on the kid from North Philly's face at the end. Almost like that s*** ain't happening again. Time to flush it.”

 

Josh Lewenberg:

“It’s hard to feel bad for a superstar athlete getting paid $20+ million to play the sport he loves, but I’ll admit it, I felt bad for Kawhi in Game 3. He was incredible, again, but his teammates let him down. This was hard to watch. Embiid did the airplane, the Raps went down 2-1, and just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, it got worse - Siakam injured his calf trying to trip Embiid.”

 

Kia Nurse:

“In the city of brotherly love the Raps looked to steal a W and swing the momentum back in their favour. The 76ers had something else planned. Raptors struggled to get into a defensive groove and Embiid dominated on both ends of the court. He would go on to debut his airplane celebration. Spoiler alert: the Toronto trolls would never forget it.”

 

Kate Beirness:

“Let’s be honest, this wasn’t pretty. I remember a small glimmer of hope in the 3rd thanks to Kawhi, but we all knew this wasn’t the Raptors night, it was the Embiid show! A beast on both ends of the floor, he was unstoppable and made sure everyone knew it with all the showboating, something Raps fans would not forget.”

 

Jack Armstrong:

“The Sixers are a frontrunning team and play to the home crowd. They did here. Joel Embiid is such a better player at home (33 & 10) and looked like a different guy. Raps D was very disappointing (116 points and 51 FG% and 43% 3PT shooting for Philly) after 6 excellent games in a row. That must change to win series. Time to respond.”

 

Kayla Grey:

“Joel Embiid came to play. Plain and simple. After a ‘meh’ first couple of games in Toronto, Embiid took over Game 3. In just 28 minutes, he puts up 33 and grabs 10 rebounds. I remember Kawhi being asked about the Raptors postseason hiccups in previous years and his response was, “what hump?”. People took that answer and ran with it, but frankly what the team was up to before he arrived was none of his business -  let’s just say after Game 3 it became his business real quick.”

 

Leo Rautins:

“The Raptors got waxed in game 3! Nick Nurse said it’s been a long time since his team has been outplayed that badly! But if the Raps needed more incentive - they got it. Joel Embiid was running around the court with his arms outstretched, ready to take flight to the chants of MVP! It’s on now!”