Raptors at Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are not playing their best heading into the regular season finale but still have a chance to finish with the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers will try to snap out of a three-game slide and change their momentum heading into the playoffs when they host the third-place Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
The Cavaliers blew a 26-point fourth-quarter lead in an overtime loss at Atlanta on Sunday and fell again in overtime on Monday in Miami, though stars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sat out against the Heat. Cleveland squandered an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter against Miami, and defense has been an issue for the East favorites over the last two months. The Raptors can finish with the season with an identical record to the Cavaliers but have already lost the head-to-head tiebreaker and can do no better than the No. 3 spot in the playoffs. "This week is going to be big for us, and that game Wednesday night, win or lose, working on our team together, is going to be important for us," Toronto coach Dwane Casey told reporters.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (50-31): Toronto clinched the first back-to-back 50-win seasons in franchise history with Sunday's 110-97 win at New York. "It shows that the organization is growing," All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry told the Toronto Star. "Me and DeMar (DeRozan) and J.V. (Jonas Valanciunas) have been here throughout the whole thing. Pat (Patterson) has been here. ... It just shows the commitment that the organization has to winning. It shows what we have been able to build throughout these years." DeRozan is heating up in advance of the postseason and scored 35 points on 11-of-15 shooting against the Knicks.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (51-30): Cleveland is 11-14 over its last 25 games and is more concerned with being healthy heading into the playoffs than using the finale to find some much-needed consistency on the defensive end. James (calf), who recorded 32 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in 47 minutes on Sunday, will sit out his second straight game on Wednesday to rest while Irving, who scored 45 points in as many minutes Sunday, is questionable. Center Tristan Thompson (thumb) missed the last four games and is questionable for Wednesday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cavaliers reserve PG Deron Williams collected 35 points and nine assists while starting in place of Irving on Monday.
2. Lowry is averaging 18.7 points and nine assists in three games since returning from a wrist injury.
3. Cleveland PF Kevin Love recorded a double-double in each of the last seven games.