Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse was surprised to hear some of his players say they hadnB次元官网网址檛 wanted to come to the NBA bubble in the first place.

On the eve of the RaptorsB次元官网网址� second-round opener against the Boston Celtics, and after an emotional few days in the Walt Disney World bubble, the coach said heB次元官网网址檚 had numerous heart-to-hearts with his players.

NurseB次元官网网址檚 opinion is that they can do better work against social injustice with the world watching them play.

And that was a key reason the league decided to reconvene after the four-month layoff due to COVID-19.

B次元官网网址淧laying these games certainly gives our guys a much better platform for social justice and any cause B次元官网网址� that was kind of the conversations that I had individually and I expressed to the team,B次元官网网址� the coach said Saturday.

B次元官网网址淚n all reality, we only really request their attention for a couple hours a day, and the rest of the day they can do whatever they want, and then they get a chance to earn a living and support their family on top of that and they have a platform to do that with. So, thatB次元官网网址檚 one of the basis of a lot of the conversations.B次元官网网址�

The shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by Wisconsin police last weekend ignited an NBA that had already made social and racial justice a major theme of the restart. Raptors Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell were among the first to mention a boycott, then the Milwaukee Bucks did just that, refusing to take the floor Wednesday against Orlando.

Their protest led to the league shutting down for three days, and then subsequent strikes in other sports.

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The Raptors, including all-star guard Kyle Lowry who sprained his left ankle in SundayB次元官网网址檚 Game 4 rout of Brooklyn, practised Saturday for the first time in three days.

Nurse said it felt like another restart.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e just working on passing and catching the ball and dribbling a little bit and just kind of getting the cobwebs out and it took a while, to be honest with you, it took almost IB次元官网网址檇 say half, or three-fourths of a practice before it felt like we kind of were moving OK and were zeroed in on basketball a little bit,B次元官网网址� Nurse said. B次元官网网址滲ut all understandable stuff.B次元官网网址�

Nurse said earlier this week that some of his players had wanted to leave the NBA bubble. Many players, not only Raptors, felt that leaving to protest was more important than playing.

But teams returned to the court after the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association agreed on commitments, including a few centred around voting. Among them: all team owners who control their arena property will work with local officials to provide those arenas for voting in the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election.

That doesnB次元官网网址檛 apply to Toronto, obviously. But Nurse and the Raptors launched a campaign a few weeks ago to encourage the some-650,000 Americans living in Canada to register to vote.

B次元官网网址淲e know that only 30-some thousand of them, around five per cent, voted in the last election,B次元官网网址� Nurse said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a ridiculous number, 30-some thousand out of 650,000 plus is mind-boggling. WeB次元官网网址檙e trying to help with that.B次元官网网址�

Asked if there a goal for how many voters they want to get registered, Nurse replied: B次元官网网址�650,000.B次元官网网址�

The Raptors and Celtics have been two of the hottest teams in the bubble, Boston handing the Raptors their only loss in the restart. Both swept their first-round opponent easily, with the Celtics beating Philadelphia in four games.

Both have balanced offences and boast among the leagueB次元官网网址檚 best defences.

While Lowry was listed as questionable for SundayB次元官网网址檚 opener, Nurse said he looked B次元官网网址淥KB次元官网网址� practising on Saturday.

Putting aside the emotions of the past few historic days might prove to be the toughest task when the ball finally goes up again.

While no Toronto players spoke to the media on Saturday, VanVleet said earlier this week that the tone of this unprecedented post-season, which was already delayed four months due to COVID-19, had changed.

B次元官网网址淚 was pretty excited and then we all had to watch Jacob Blake get shot. B次元官网网址� That kind of changes the tone of things,B次元官网网址� VanVleet had said. B次元官网网址�(The protests) arenB次元官网网址檛 supposed to not be in vain. ItB次元官网网址檚 just starting to feel like everything weB次元官网网址檙e doing is just going through the motions, nothingB次元官网网址檚 changing.B次元官网网址�

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Nurse said heB次元官网网址檚 learned a lot about his players both in the past few days, and even the past few weeks in Florida since George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by police in May. His death ignited protests across the U.S. and even globally.

B次元官网网址淚 continue to get personal stories from our players about incidents they have been through themselves with law enforcement officers which are personal and disheartening and disappointing,B次元官网网址� Nurse said.

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Teams are physically isolated from the outside world at the NBAB次元官网网址檚 campus at Disney World, and so there have been questions about whether they realize the impact their messages against social and racial injustice have had.

Nurse pointed out that the B次元官网网址漛ubbleB次元官网网址� isnB次元官网网址檛 vastly different from the virtual bubble players live in to maintain focus during any post-season run.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got to create a little bit of that to focus. IB次元官网网址檓 not on social media listening to what is happening and things like that so I donB次元官网网址檛 know if youB次元官网网址檙e unaware,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut I donB次元官网网址檛 think you are totally aware of the impact it is having all over the place.

B次元官网网址淚 thought it was awesome the other sports joined in. I really do. I think it was a great show of class and support, especially MLB and WNBA and the NHL. That was great.

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 one of those things that is going to take some time to sink in and looking back on it, (itB次元官网网址檚 difficult) to see what magnitude when you are kind of in the middle on the ground of it.B次元官网网址�

On the court, meanwhile, the Celtics are also battling injuries. Gordon Hayward sprained his ankle in the first round and is back in Boston rehabbing.

Both teams spread their scoring around. Toronto is the first team with five players averaging 15 points per game since the 1973-74 Buffalo Braves. Boston has three players averaging more than 20 points per game in Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown.

The Raptors bench has been outstanding, averaging a league-best 56.5 points per game. The reserves scored an NBA-record 100 points in their Game 4 rout of Brooklyn.

Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday.

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press

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