Herbert: Raptors ready for theiy Super Bowl

TORONTO — No one should accuse the Toronto Raptors of misunderstanding the stakes. After winning 56 games in the regular season and squandering a chance to eliminate the Indiana Pacers on Friday, they face a Game 7 at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday. Two years ago, they were in the same situation against the Brooklyn Nets. You know how that went.

“It’s like the Super Bowl,” Toronto guard Kyle Lowry said Saturday. “Win or go home. One game. It’s survive or don’t survive. That’s the mentality it’s gotta be. It’s like the NCAA Tournament. Gotta win.”

“Game 7 feels like life and death,” Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan said. “I only experienced it from a losing aspect, and that feeling sucks. The time after, just to be able to turn on the TV to watch a basketball game, that part of it sucks. And everything that comes with it. Understanding once we go out there tomorrow night, that’s it. That’s how we gotta treat it: this is it.”

Lowry and DeRozan represented Toronto when it hosted the All-Star Game in February. They appeared on the cover of the latest issue of SLAM magazine, with global ambassador Drake standing in between them. They’ve been teammates for four seasons and, in that time, they have tried to change the perception of the franchise, which has been to the second round once in its 21-year existence. They’ve also been through two devastating playoff losses together.

The Raptors want to be seen as a rising powerhouse in the Eastern Conference, the type of team that can attract marquee free agents despite the cold weather. They play in a massive media market with rabid fans, and they have the most …

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