Live Thread: Raptors @ Cavs
2018-04-03
The Raptors are in Cleveland for their final game against the Cavs this season. The series is tied at 1-1 after the Cavs made a 15 point comeback during the second half of their previous meeting. Since then the Cavs are 5-1. Toronto is 2-2.
The Cavs sit in third in the East with Philly looming. The 76ers have now won two games without their star, Joel Embiid, who is out due to a facial injury. A Cavs loss and a Philly win tonight would have them swap places in playoff seeding.
Tonight’s game is a possible preview of the Eastern Conference Finals.The Cavs have taken it to the Raptors in the LeBron 2.0 era in the playoffs, but Toronto has grown up and seem more serious about giving Cleveland a challenge. With that being said, this game will either be very competitive or a weird game of chess where both teams try to give up nothing to be used in a future scouting report.
Things To Watch
- The Raptors like to play a smaller lineup for stretches of games. They’ll play Fred Van Fleet with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. That’s a hard group for the Cavs to guard given their issues with perimeter coverage most of the season. George Hill is not playing tonight, so that will make covering this unit even more difficult. Maybe Cedi Osman will see some time tonight.
- During the last game the Cavs were missing five rotation players and still won. Can the Cavs win convincingly tonight is the question. It would make the team a lot more confident heading into the playoffs if they squashed any talk about the Raptors having a chance once and for all.
- LeBron James and Kevin Love torched the Raptors during their last meetup. They most likely will tonight. The Raptors need to figure out a way to keep these guys from combining for over fifty points. They must figure out some scheme where LeBron thinks twice about carrying the team. And, that scheme can’t leave Love open to hit 3s all night. Jonas Valanciunas shouldn’t be involved in this plan in any way whatsoever, let’s hope the Raptors don’t realize that.
This will be a close game, but the Cavs have the momentum right now. I’m picking them 121-115.
Kyle Korver is a game time decision.
MOst blocks we’ve had in awhile
Sweet post move, LeBron!
Green is playing good D vs DeRozan
Jeff came to play!
Shoot the doggone 3 JR
Sorry about the comments, guys. Stupid WordPress.
No problem… thanks for saying something…. thought I got banned for commenting too much lol
Clarkson way too shot happy this game when he doesn’t have it. Refs really letting them play.
Kyle with a heck of a steal back there.
Lol. My buddy Eric just called poeltle, “Hellboy.”
Hate this lineup to start 4th. Green and TT. TT can’t even get the ball in. Danger time.
Solid effort through three but weak closes to the first half and second quarter. And that is when Jose needed his blow.
Raptors hanging tough. Glad we keep responding to their runs. Did LBJ play that whole qtr? If so the first 5 minutes of the fourth will be crucial.
Calderon with a huge three though
Nice D JC!
Toronto is just waiting around for LBJ to retire. They can’t do anything else. Feel for them a little.
Nice finish Nance!!!
I love how Nance is constantly communicating…. real team player!!!
He really is. Great team guy.
So likely will have a lead at 3Q. There’s a record to be kept intact after that, I believe.
Miles probably feels like a Mac truck just went through his chest
Great charge taken by lbj
When Hill returns, Calderon should run the second unit.
Clarkson is killing me. Learn to pass or sit down.
Sixers up on Nets by 20 in third…
Good timeout. 14 down to 8.
That LNJ alleyoop would have been money
So close.
This is a really good game.
Jr seemingly never throws an easy oop pass. Almost like he is trying to see what guys can do.
Damn… LBJ with the rare errant pass. Hood was wide open.
He has had 3-4 tonight.
Green shouldn’t be sitting around at the arc whenever lebron has the ball
Fantastic drive by kev.
Miles in to get his 50…
At least Green kept shooting LOL!!!
NEED A BIGGER BODY ON JV!!!
So far Calderon +22, Clarkson -10.
Lowry realling killing them…
Cavs playing at a high level this game.
A lot of high IQ guys on the team.
LBJ really trusts Calderon to run things IMO… rarely see LBJ at point when he’s in the game.
Trick or treat Jeff Green.
He should be cutting on some of these like he was earlier this season when he was at his best
Incredibly good response by Cavs to that run. Gotta ballgame here!!!
Hood with the smooth j!!!
Jose too wide open LOL!!!
JV feasting. Maybe time for nance
Jose almost too wide open there. Finally missed an open Trey’s.
Hood has serious skills. Would love to see him be the X factor in a series…
The Andersons got tickets to Guided by Voices.
Damned Andersons.
Calderon is such a good open shooter. Top tier.
JOSE WITH ANOTHER CLUTCH 3!!!! He and LBJ brought the Cavs early in the 1st quarter too!!!
Nice answer to the raptors run.
Green should not be there against this lineup, and another huge Jose shot…incredible…
Senor Splash! Fred does it again
JV and Ibaka only reason why Raptors in this game…. Raptors also outrebounding Cavs at this point.
Yeah, ibaka not playing terrible. Clean up the d boards and the Cavs should be fine. They are taking advantage of jvs size for once.
We are focusing on DeRozan & Lowry.
NEED ZIZIC’S SIZE COACHES!!!
God… Green is simply overmatched at the 5. And he couldn’t make the layup against JV.
Cavs should be feeding Love in the post. Hasn’t happened once I don’t think tonight
Finally ! Twice in a row
Ask and you shall receive…. KLOVE couldn’t hit the midrange.
They must have heard you. Though Kev settled for jumpers both times
LBJ with the nice three!!!
Nice half. Picked up the defensive intensity and made the Raptors work a bit during that run. Ironically, it felt as though at least for parts of the second cavs perimeter and interior d was stronger but the raps had a better quarter. Hopefully they can keep up the defensive intensity. Doubt we shoot as well, but the raptors d had some breakdowns in the first half.
not sure jose can duplicate the 1st half —will need some other player (s) to step up —-will see what adjustments casey makes at half ——PLEASE DO NOT START GREEN THE 2ND HALF
probably see some of cedi—–ANTE-AIN’T GOING to happen– (at least any meaningful minutes )—–have given up on this season—
Most befuddling coaching decision was starting Green over Nance…..and the Green hoists two terrible threes in the first few minutes. Solid half overall. Lowry looks like he is playing in a lower gear
Sixers up 12 at half on the Nets.
For all our bitching at Green, he did hold DeRozan down.
I hope we see Cedi & Zizic some tomorrow on the back to back.
The Philly game is the b2b
Loving the consistent effort from LNJ, never gives up on a play. Bugging the Raptors a lot.
Nice half.
Please, no Jeff Green to start the second half.
We had the 3s going. But I kind of like to leverage that into more drives.
Bron with some unnecessarily high degree of difficulty stuff at the end of the half + Love & Jose finally missed.
Anyway, I will take up 8.
guess for time being we have to live with ‘cpt’ bandaid ” being who he is—-but man I wish some of jose would rub off on him
Clarkson is hustling on D. He gets stuck on screens due to no swim move but he is working hard
Why is Lebron not taking it to the hole instead relegating to his crazy shots??
A combo of avoiding contact this close to the POs & some poor early FT shooting. If I had to guess.
Raptors close the quarter nicely… Cleveland missed a few open shots they should’ve made. Overall good stuff though given the shaky start.
Good half, shame they couldn’t have kept it at 12-13 points…
Quiet there at the close of the half….
Hood had a good look there…. just didn’t make it.
Green was real good there in the 4th.