Don’t overreact to a Game 1 blowout. We don’t have to look back to far to be reminded of that. After playing two seven-game series and having just one day off leading into their first Eastern Conference final game, the Raptors looked fatigued and paid the price against the well-rested Cavaliers. And there isn’t much time to recover before the next one.
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LOOK AHEAD
It’s just one game. That’s what the Toronto Raptors need to keep telling themselves before Thursday. The Cavaliers and Raptors were separated by only one game during the regular season. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, though, showed us that these teams are separated by much more than just that.
After eight full days of rest following their second-round sweep of Atlanta, and having played only eight games in the last month, one might expect the Cavs to show a little rust from all the rest. It took all of two minutes for Cleveland to chisel that rust off, responding to a game-opening 7-0 Toronto run by scoring 33 points in the next 10 minutes. After burying Atlanta with a barrage of threes, the Cavs were held in check from beyond the arc. But they were able to adapt and overcome, take what the Raptors gave them, and win convincingly.
INJURIES
Toronto’s odds of winning a game in this series drop steeply without center Jonas Valanciunas, who missed Game 1 and is doubtful for Game 2 with a sprained ankle that cost him the final four games of the Miami series. The Raptors need him to punish the Cavs inside and slow the pace. Also, his ability to score down low makes it difficult for the Cavs to play their smaller front line that has worked so well this postseason.
KEY MATCHUP
We all know what LeBron James has done during the postseason of his distinguished career. With all those trips to the NBA Finals, a couple of championships while with the Heat and ridiculous numbers during the conference final. But point guard Kyrie Irving is motivated this season after missing the Finals last year with a knee injury. Irving is leading the charge with his aggressive playmaking and stifling defense.
Irving was unstoppable on Tuesday, scoring a game-high 27 points on 11 of 17 shooting along with five assists, two rebounds, two steals, two blocks and just two turnovers in 30 minutes of run time. He didn’t play the fourth quarter, but the damage was done. Irving broke down the Raptors defense time and again, using his remarkable handle and footwork to earn his way into the lane and finish at the basket. He made one three, but he didn’t need to be active beyond the stripe because Toronto gave him the paint – and he took it.
QUICK PICK
The Raptors have better games in them during this series. They can play better perimeter defense, move the ball better, be more accurate with their shots, rebound the basketball, and generally reach a higher level than they managed on Tuesday. But can they reach the level at which the Cavaliers are operating?
We knew during the regular season that Cleveland was geared for what came after the 82-game circus. Now that it’s here it appears as though the Cavs have a score to settle and nothing in the Eastern Conference is going to stop them. While the Raptors will use the Thunder/Spurs series for motivation, so will the Cavs.
NBA Odds: Cleveland 111, Toronto 102
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