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Rick Zamperin: This could be the year the Raptors crack the NBA Finals

DeMar DeRozan and the Toronto Raptors have won their last eight games in a row. Frank Gunn/Canadian Press

Is this the year of the Raptor?

With 16 games remaining in their regular-season schedule, the Toronto Raptors are on pace to shatter their franchise record for wins in a season — and it may not be even close.

The Raps launched into a three-game road trip on Sunday afternoon by roughing up the New York Knicks 132-106.

The victory came two days after Toronto topped the Rockets 108-105 at the Air Canada Centre to end Houston’s 17-game winning streak.

Sunday’s tilt against the 11th-place Knickerbockers could have been a trap game, but the dinos had no intentions of falling into it.

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It was Toronto’s eighth straight victory and the Raptors’ 15th win in their last 16 games.

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Entering Tuesday night’s tip-off against the Nets in Brooklyn, the Raps are first in the NBA’s Eastern Conference with a record of 49-17, and are 3.5 games better that the second-place Boston Celtics.

Click to play video: 'Drake and Toronto Raptors launch ‘Welcome Toronto’ program'
Drake and Toronto Raptors launch ‘Welcome Toronto’ program

Toronto’s franchise-best record came two seasons ago when they went 56-26, and even though 10 of their last 16 games are against teams that are above .500 (including two each vs. Boston and third-place Cleveland) the Raptors need just eight wins to break the record.

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The way Toronto is playing lately, this should be a 60-win team.

Come playoff time, who knows? This could be the year they crack the NBA Finals.

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