Cavaliers at Raptors
The Cleveland Cavaliers have dominated the first two games of the
Eastern Conference finals and look to record their 11th straight victory
this postseason when they visit the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
Cleveland won the first two games of the series by an average of 25
points to become the sixth team in NBA history to start the postseason
with 10 or more victories.
The San Antonio Spurs (12 in 2012) and Los Angeles Lakers (11 in both 1989 and 2001) are the only teams to begin the playoffs with more consecutive wins than the red-hot Cavaliers. "I don't think it feels like a streak," James told reporters. "It feels like we won one game, we won the next game. We've taken one step at a time. We've tried to take care of business." The Raptors are returning home but there are few observers expecting them to make it a series after the way they were outclassed in Cleveland. "I don't think our guys have quit. I refuse to believe that," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said after Game 2. "We've won 56 (regular-season) games. We've been down before. We've had some rough patches and we've bounced back. I think this is the first time in the playoffs we've lost two games in a row, so this team will bounce back. I believe in them and they've got to believe in themselves, and I think they do."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: James was superb with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 2 for his 15th career playoff triple-double and he also moved into fourth place on the all-time playoffs scoring list with 5,255 points, passing Shaquille O'Neal (5,250). James (23.5 average on 18-of-26 shooting) and point guard Kyrie Irving (26.5 on 23-of-39 shooting) have torched the Raptors at will as Cleveland averaged 111.5 points over the first two games. Power forward Kevin Love is averaging just 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds after posting double-doubles in each of the Cavaliers' first eight postseason games.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS: Point guard Kyle Lowry averaged just nine points in the first two games of the series and is 8-of-28 shooting, including 1-of-15 from 3-point range. He had seemingly put his postseason shooting slump behind him when he averaged 35.5 points over the final two games of the second-round series against Miami but he was a nonfactor in the two blowout losses in Cleveland. "I'm super confident," Lowry told reporters. "I missed countless 3s that I thought were good and that I made last series. That's why I'm not down on myself. We've got a game on Saturday, and I know I'm going to be much more effective."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas (ankle) will likely miss Game 3 after sitting out both games in Cleveland.
2. Cleveland has a 91-61 rebounding edge over the first two games.
3. Toronto SG DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points in Game 2 and has topped 20 in four of the past five postseason games.