"Different script but same result.

That was Dwane Casey's take on the Raptors 94-84 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

On the team's recent three-game road trip, the Raptors twice played solid basketball for the first three quarters only to lose in the fourth.

Friday against the Trail Blazers the script was flipped. A poor first quarter followed by three pretty decent one's.

"It's kind of a tale of who we are right now," Casey said. "Either we play the first three quarters hard and give up the fourth, or like (Friday night) I thought we started off soft."

'Soft' is actually a nice way to put it. The Raps only barely outscored LaMarcus Aldridge in the first, getting two more points as a team than the 12 the face of the Blazers' franchise scored.

It was like the Raps had taken it upon themselves to ensure the all-star slight Aldridge suffered last season would not be repeated.

After 12 minutes he had 12 points and six boards and the Trail Blazers had a 27-14 lead.

On at least two occasions over the remaining three quarters, the Raptors got that deficit down to just five points but could get no closer.

"I thought Portland came out the way you should, aggressive, into us and we didn't respond until the second quarter."