Cavaliers at Raptors
Kyrie Irving is back, LeBron James is in the zone and Cleveland is looking to climb the Eastern Conference standings when it visits Toronto on Wednesday. With Irving back in the lineup after a two-game absence and James producing 27 points in 26 minutes, the Cavaliers stretched their home winning streak to 12 games with a 110-79 rout of Boston on Tuesday. Cleveland led by as many as 44 points as it climbed to within a game of the Raptors in the race for second place in the East.
Toronto snapped a season-high five-game slide with a 114-103 win at Philadelphia on Monday, riding a breakout performance by DeMar DeRozan. After shooting 24-for-81 over a five-game slump, DeRozan scored a season-high 35 points while chipping in nine rebounds and five assists. The Cavaliers and Raptors met three times in a span of 18 days earlier this season, with Cleveland winning the last two while DeRozan was sidelined with a groin injury.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), TSN2 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (38-24): The rout of the Celtics came at a great time for Cleveland, not only because it had to travel to Toronto for the second half of the back-to-back. Because the Cavaliers were able to build such a big lead, Irving only needed to play 26 minutes in his return from a shoulder strain and James played fewer minutes than all but one game this season. Kevin Love, who had 12 points and eight rebounds, was able to limit his night to 25 minutes after being questionable due to an illness in the hours before the game began.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (38-22): Toronto may be leaning on Greivis Vasquez a bit more than it bargained for, as All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry's absence due to a variety of ailments may be extended through the week. Vasquez is averaging 13 points and 5.5 assists in two starts since Lowry went down, making 6-of-13 3-pointers in the process. The veteran is 5-of-21 from the floor and 2-of-9 from beyond the arc in three games against Cleveland this season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Love needs 13 points to reach 8,000 for his career.
2. Toronto needs seven wins in its final 10 home games to set a franchise record (27 in 2000-01).
3. Cavaliers PF Tristan Thompson has shot better than 50 percent in six straight games.