CLEVELAND, Ohio- The Cleveland Cavaliers welcome in the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday in a battle of two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams. The Raptors currently hold the top-seed in the East and have for a majority of the year after wrestling it away from the Boston Celtics, who sit right behind the Raptors in the second spot of the conference. Cleveland, meanwhile, is the third-seeded team in the conference and is just a game away from falling into the sixth spot. It’s a rather tight playoff race between the bottom six teams and the Cavs are hoping to create some distance down the stretch.
That started with a nice 124-117 home win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday which saw LeBron James notch his sixteenth triple-double of the campaign, a career-high for the King. LeBron finished with forty points, twelve assists and ten rebounds on the night and helped Cleveland roll with a comfortable lead for most of the game. Though the Bucks put together a late rally, James and company shut it down before it got too close.
The other big news story coming out of Monday’s game was the return of Kevin Love. After missing game action since January 31st with a broken hand, Love reminded every NBA team how dangerous Cleveland is when they’re healthy. Love played on a twenty-five-minute restriction and still put up eighteen points, seven rebounds, and four assists. From the moment the game began to the final minute he was out on the court, Love made it obvious how much he stretches the floor and creates spacing for teammates while finding his flow for the night. In fact, he looked even more comfortable taking shots from all over the floor.
Tonight, the Cavs will be tested by a very game Toronto team that has their eyes set towards the NBA Playoffs, a place that has caused many heartbreaks over the last few seasons for the Raptors. With DeMar DeRozan leading the charge, Toronto is becoming a serious problem in the eyes of many analysts this year. A win in Cleveland could further that thought for those already thinking the Cavs’ best days are behind them. A Cleveland win could halt the bandwagon for a brief moment and remind Toronto and the rest of the league who they are when this time of the season comes rolling around.
Let’s get to the three keys for a Cavs victory in tonight’s big game.
1. Avoiding Big Runs- The Cavs have been a little better on defense as of late but could still tighten up some things. One of those aspects needing some work is the ability to shut down extended runs by opposing offenses. Quite a few times this season the Cleveland defense has been exposed and it’s led to multiple collapses down the stretch, which is something that cannot happen against Toronto. The Raptors have plenty of ways they can hurt the Cavs in a normal game flow. If they’re given a chance to make a big run, they’ll take advantage and do such.
2. Execute From Outside The Paint- Cleveland does have Kevin Love back but as for right now, he’ll be on a minutes restriction. So with that being the case, the Cavs must execute offensively and not be willing to get into a battle on the boards tonight. Hitting shots the first time will definitely play a part in a victory, as Jonas Valanciunas and Serge Ibaka serve as threats to impose their will down in the key.
If the Cavs cannot connect on their mid-range and long-range shots, it’ll give Toronto an edge in the contest and allow them to get more looks throughout the game. Having possessions limited is never ideal, especially against a team that can make you pay.
3. Battle Of The Benches- Usually this would be an enthralling battle to see whose second unit is better than the other’s but tonight is not the case. Instead, Wednesday will be a matter of grinding out production to match or best Toronto’s second wave of guys.
Fred VanVleet leads the second unit and has done so successfully for the Raptors, averaging 8.3 points per contest. However, VanVleet might not be available for Wednesday’s game with a right hand contusion. That would leave Norman Powell and company to anchor the bench and find a rhythm.
Toronto will also be coming in on the second night of a back-to-back with both contests played away from Air Canada Centre. They’ve won nine road games in a row to their credit, meaning they’ll be a tough test for Cleveland to put away. With a depleted Cavs team that is still missing Cedi Osman, Tristan Thompson, Rodney Hood, and Larry Nance Jr., one must wonder how well the team will match up when some rotations kick in.
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