Cavaliers at Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are winners of nine straight at home and are trying to make a move toward the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference. The second-place Raptors will try to chop one game off the three-game deficit when they host the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Toronto began a stretch of nine of 10 at home by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-105 on Wednesday and is aware of what’s in front of it on Friday. “It’s going to be a test for us,” Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry told reporters of the Cavaliers. “We know how good they are. We know they are the (defending) Eastern Conference champions. They have a (heck) of a team and a great coach. We just have to take it step by step and prepare very well and stay locked into the game.” Cleveland is not leaving much room for the Raptors to sneak through by winning six of its last seven. The Cavaliers introduced another offensive weapon in Wednesday’s 114-103 win over the Charlotte Hornets when forward Channing Frye broke out for 15 points.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), Sportsnet One (Toronto)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (41-15): Frye managed two points in nine minutes in his debut with the team on Monday – a 96-88 home loss to the Detroit Pistons – but caught fired and buried four 3-pointers in 18 minutes on Wednesday. “It’s tough coming in on the fly like that but (Frye) knows the traditional NBA sets, which we’ve been trying to run when he’s in the game,” Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue told reporters. “Get to your spots and let Kyrie (Irving), LeBron (James) and (Matthew Dellavedova) hit you. He did a good job (Wednesday). He was able to get some open shots.” Frye is shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point range on the season and will stretch the floor for the second unit.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (38-18): Toronto is led by its All-Star backcourt of Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, and it was DeRozan taking over against a scrappy Minnesota squad on Wednesday. The 26-year-old went for 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting and is averaging 24.6 points in the last 20 contests, during which the Raptors have gone 17-3. That 20-game surge came directly after the Raptors were crushed 122-100 at Cleveland on Jan. 4 despite a combined 42 points from Lowry and DeRozan.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cavaliers G Iman Shumpert (shoulder) has missed the last three games and is questionable for Friday.
2. Raptors PG Cory Joseph is 16-of-25 from the field, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, in the last three games.
3. The teams have split two games this season, with Toronto grabbing a 103-99 home win on Nov. 25.