Normal.
It felt normal.
And after months and months and months of terribly abnormal times in life and in sports, normal was just about perfect for the Raptors and their fans on Monday night.
No, Scotiabank Arena wasn’t full, and yes it was only an NBA pre-season game, but the ease with which the whole thing got back to usual was impressive and a breath of fresh air with the regular season just over two weeks away.
“All the familiarity seems more familiar for being away for so long, it really does,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said after Toronto stomped Philadelphia 123-107.