The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Cavs have Raptors on the brink of extinction
Toronto expected to use physical play to try to keep its season going
Once Coach Tyronn Lue and the Cavaliers players finished answering questions about LeBron James’ dramatic game-winner on May 5 – and that took a while – they turned their attention to what they must do to finish off the Toronto Raptors.
James’ running 10-foot floater off the glass at the buzzer broke a 103-103 tie and gave the Cavs a 3-0 lead on the Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They need to win one more game to get to the conference finals for the fourth straight year. They can do that on May 7 at Quicken Loans Arena and avoid returning to Canada until next season.
“It should never have come to that point,” James said in the postgame euphoria. “We had a really good lead to start the fourth quarter. We came out and didn’t play the way we should have.
“At the end of the day, you do whatever it takes to win, and we found a way to get another win. We have to be a lot better coming into Game 4.”
The Cavs won Game 1 of the series in Toronto, 113-112, in overtime. The Raptors missed their last 11 shots in regulation in that one. They outscored the Cavaliers, 38-26, in the fourth quarter in Game 3 and still lost.
The Cavaliers have beaten Toronto nine straight times in the playoffs dating to 2016. But the Raptors aren’t going quietly. Just the opposite.
They were physical in the first half of Game 1 when they tried taking advantage of the Cavaliers being exhausted from a sevengame series with the Pacers. The Raptors were physical again in Game 3, especially with James and Kevin Love.
Lue expects the same tactics from Toronto in Game 4. “It really took us out of
our offense,” Lue said. “We didn’t start running our offense until there were 10 or 11 seconds on the (shot) clock. We can’t do that. We have to play faster.
“They tried to wear LeBron down by picking him up full-court. They were leaning on him, grabbing him. He had to fight and push even to get a catch, It’s a great game plan, but he still had 38 (points), seven (assists) and six (rebounds). He has to keep his composure because they’re trying to foul him hard. We’re not
used to playing that way. It’s a different style for (Toronto) as well, so we’ll see how long that lasts.”
Toronto coach Dwane Casey in his postgame remarks said he wants his team to be just as physical in the next game. Casey somehow has to come up with magic words to get his dejected team to play hard in Game 4 before a Quicken Loans Arena crowd that senses the kill, like a lion tracking a wounded wildebeest.
The Raptors face the almost
impossible task of beating the Cavaliers four straight times.
They would have to win twice at The Q to make that happen.
“We have one more game,” Casey said. “Our pride is on the line. Basically, our season is on the line in the next game.
“We’re all hurting. To lay your heart out (in Game 3) – to lose on a last-second shot, it hurts.”
Game 5, if necessary, would be played May 9 in Toronto.