The Toronto Raptors took a step back in time here last night, a step back to an era when they were not a very good basketball team, when they were a squad trying to find a style of play to suit the personnel, a franchise looking for an identity.

And the search goes on.

Hammered on the boards by a team ranked 25th of 29 in rebounding, the Raptors began what should have been an entirely winnable set of back-to-back games with another disheartening loss, this one 84-81 to the Memphis Grizzlies, a team whose point guard Jason Williams last Sunday suggested was the "worst in the league."

For one night, though, the Grizzlies looked like a collection of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain wannabes who gobbled up rebounds like tourists here gobble up Elvis memorabilia.