All season long, Toronto Raptors fans have been waiting for the sleeping giant to awaken.

And now that Antonio Davis has stirred from his slumber, the Raptors are starting to play like the contenders they were touted as during the pre-season.

"I think from this point on, if we just carry this same type of aggression and passion with us, I don't think we'll ever look back and regret what we've done," said Davis.

Last week, the Raptors' power forward issued a challenge to his teammates -- play with some heart, play like you love it.

The team responded. In what could eventually be seen as the turning point of the season, Toronto recorded two huge wins -- a 106-97 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday and a 107-100 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves last Friday.

Davis looked liked the dominant player that guided the team through last year's playoff run, bashing the boards and going up for huge dunks. He scored 35 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the team's two big wins.

It would be unfair to pin all the Raptors' previous disappointments on Davis since the team had been underperforming on a few levels. But his presence on the court, during the heat of the game, wasn't having the same impact it had last season.

Until now.