Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers Game Preview

The Raptors will be in Cleveland to face the Cavs as their season winds on. The backcourt that was so reliable over the past few years has struggled to stay healthy, the team having to fire backups into the game for extensive minutes almost every game. Fred VanVleet will remain out for the team, as Gary Trent continues to play next to Malachi Flynn in the backcourt.

The season is not at all lost yet for the Raptors, who sit at 20-32 coming into action. The Bulls have been hot of late, but should they cool off, Toronto should be able to find a way to usurp them and qualify for the play-in tournament. With the exception of the Trent Jr. winner against the Wizards, it has been a rough six weeks for Nick Nurse’s club. And things won’t just get better.

Cleveland managed a win against the Raptors when the teams met a few weeks ago. They had the team extremely frustrated and were able to pull off a 116-105 victory. Collin Sexton went off for 36, while Darius Garland and Dean Wade both had good games as well. They’ve got their sensational backup point guard back in the lineup, finally. Matthew Dellavedova has recorded 22 assists without a turnover since coming back. Not bad at all, eh?

Raptors Seeking Road Win

Though they are pretty short-handed again, the Raptors are still favored to win. There is some talent left in the lineup, led by Pascal Siakam and Trent Jr. OG Anunoby has continued to improve his offensive game and versatility, the shot against Boston in the playoffs helping to extend their season for a few additional games. The spread is TOR -3, so oddsmakers must have very little faith in the Cavs.

The team can, in fact, get wins, and there is an obvious reason for that. Chris Boucher has been playing very good basketball of late. Malachi Flynn may be a rookie, but he has shown that he has learned a lot from the veteran guards in front of him. Lowry might be able to return as well.

No matter what, you can never count the Raptors out.

Cavs Seek Third Straight Win

Everything that happens to the Cavs happens in waves. They never win or lose one time and alternate the following time they take the court. It is always a rollercoaster of sorts, the team unable to play .500 ball for any period of time. It’s not the worst thing in the world.

Garland had a career night, dropping 37 in the win against the Spurs. The team was able to keep things rolling, avenging an earlier season loss to the Thunder. OKC was very short-handed, yes, but they never knew what hit them. The CLE offense was a well-oiled machine.

The backcourt is starting to come into its own, while Dellavedova and Kevin Love have provided the team with a significant boost upon their returns. With an eight-man rotation at the moment, Cleveland is keeping things tight to the belt.