NBA games of the week: Raptors bounce back
By Chazz Scogna
Wednesday, Mar. 21: Toronto at Cleveland, 7:00 p.m. ET
It’s possible with Cleveland looming the next night, the Raptors choose to sit some of their starters against the Magic.
Perhaps more than any other team, the Cavaliers are the mountain that blocks the Raptors, particularly LeBron. The Cavs have knocked out the Raptors in consecutive postseasons, including a sweep in 2017. If the Cavaliers maintain the third seed, then the Raptors would have their second crack at a Conference Finals against one of the best players in league history. If they drop to fourth or fifth in the East, then it’ll be a repeat of last season’s clash in the second round.
Offensively, these two teams are close. The Raptors are third in offensive rating, the Cavaliers are fifth. The Cavs sit third in true shooting percentage, the Raptors sit fourth. The Cavs are third in effective field goal percentage, the Raptors are fifth.
But it can’t be stressed enough the Achilles heel for the Cavaliers — their defense. They’re still 28th in the league in defensive rating, a measly 1.3 points per 100 possessions behind Phoenix. The Raptors, on the other hand, are fourth in defensive rating.
These two teams will play once more in the beginning of April. Will we get at least four-to-seven more in the playoffs? If so, is this the year the Raptors finally come out on top?