The Toronto Raptors crushed any ideas that they were going to be swept by the Cavaliers with Saturday’s 99-84 victory. They’ll need to play with the same desperation to even the series, and don’t expect the Cavaliers to roll over on Monday.
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Cleveland Cavaliers -6
Toronto Raptors +6
Over/Under 197
LOOK AHEAD
It took 10 postseason games, but it finally happened. The Cavaliers didn’t play like the team that went unbeaten through the first two and a half rounds of the playoffs. The question is, how much of a role did the Raptors play in that messy Game 3? If you talk to the Cavs, they’ll tell you not much. Throughout the playoffs, the Cavs have shown a tendency to give up points at times, but their defensive shortcomings were hidden by offensive firepower. The Cavs are not unbeatable and have issues to resolve.
Toronto played a desperate Game 3 and needed a victory to get back in the series. They did just that by keeping the Cavs away from the basket this time and gambling to allow Cleveland’s three-point shooters space. But the Raptors just outworked the Cavs for rebounds and loose balls, particularly Bismack Biyombo, who was unstoppable on the glass. Can the Raptors play with the same sense of urgency on Monday? That’s the big question.
INJURIES
Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving was escorted to the locker room late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss in obvious discomfort. Following the game, however, it was reported to be nothing serious, and the All-Star point guard said he had the wind knocked out of him.
Jonas Valanciunas was shooting around and moving better than he has since suffering a badly sprained ankle in Game 3 of the Miami series. It’s unlikely he suits up Monday, but if the Raptors can extend the series, we may see the big man back in the lineup.
KEY MATCHUP
The Raptors got exactly what they needed to get back in the Eastern Conference finals. If one of Toronto’s backcourt members has a good game, the odds of winning increase significantly. If both play well, victory is almost certain. We’ve seen too many times during this postseason what happens when both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan don’t play well, including the first two games in Cleveland.
DeRozan led the Raptors on Saturday with 32 points and is averaging 24.0 this series on 49.2 percent from the field. He’s been the key for Toronto getting off to good starts as well, averaging 11.3 points on 60 percent shooting in first quarters. He’s a rhythm player and if he gets off to a sizzling start, he’s hard to cool.
QUICK PICK
The Cavs didn’t play that well on Saturday, plain and simple. But give Toronto credit. The Raptors needed a win to get back in the NBA series and they did. An inspired effort from their backcourt resulted in 52 combined points from Lowry and DeRozan. Toronto dictated the pace and let Cleveland miss a bunch of threes by taking away the paint after getting torched inside during the first two games. The strategy worked and the Cavs were too eager to settle for the long-range perimeter shot.
Cleveland hasn’t won a game in Toronto this season, dropping to 0-3 with Saturday’s loss. That will change on Monday. The Cavs won the first two easily and lost their way, feeling overconfident that all they had to do was show up. Saturday’s defeat might actually be a good thing for the Cavs to get them refocused on the prize.
NBA Odds: Cleveland 104, Toronto 97
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