Raptors breathing down Cavaliers’ necks
Toronto sits just one game back in race for top seed as playoffs approach
Long after the Cleveland Cavaliers fired coach David Blatt to try to stabilize a team that just couldn’t get on the same page, many of the same issues continue to plague them under Tyronn Lue.
And while the Cavs try to figure out how to use Kevin Love, shore up their defence and find the consistency they need to make a real title run, the Toronto Raptors have put themselves right in Cleveland’s rear-view mirror as the playoffs approach.
The Raptors (48-21) have won four straight games and seven of their last eight, and are just one game back of the Cavs (49-20) for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors have weathered injuries to key players like Jonas Valanciunas, DeMarre Carroll and James Johnson, all the while relying on their continuity to get them through.
“It hasn’t been easy at all, dealing with injuries, key players being out,” all-star guard DeMar DeRozan said last month. “It’s definitely been tough. Just to get through it, stay afloat after that, it’s an accomplishment.”
The Raptors are doing more than just stay afloat. With DeRozan and Kyle Lowry forming one of the league’s best backcourts and coach Dwane Casey and the rest of the staff plugging in Luis Scola, Bismack Biyombo and Patrick Patterson to overcome injuries, the Raptors have been in the No. 2 spot most of the season.
“We’ve always been a team to overcome adversity,” DeRozan said. “That’s what the coaching staff has always preached. We’ve got guys that don’t complain. We take what’s given to us and make the most out of it.”
DeRozan and Lowry have set an aggressive tone for the Raptors offence, with DeRozan leading the league in points off drives to the basket, and the two are averaging more than 15 free-throw attempts a game.
Ultimately, the Raptors know the playoffs are all that matters.
They have won just one playoff series in franchise history.
“The buy-in, the chemistry, the continuity has been good,” Casey said. “We still have a lot of room for improvement and some growth to be had. We’re where we want to be right now offensively and defensively.” Things to watch this week: FREAKIN’ OUT: Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo’s breakout season has reached a zenith with four triple-doubles in an 11-game span, and he came one assist shy of his fifth Tuesday. Coach Jason Kidd has the 21-year-old running the Bucks offence, and he is flourishing in a role GM John Hammond saw for him when he drafted the Greek Freak in 2013.
WOLVES OFFENCE: Minnesota may have the third-worst record in the West, but they have quietly had one of the league’s best offences over the last 25 games. Interim coach Sam Mitchell has emphasized an uptempo style and the new starting lineup of Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng is scoring more than 116 points per 100 possessions.
CLIPPERS AT WARRIORS: One of the league’s most spirited rivalries is renewed Wednesday when Golden State returns home from a threegame road trip to host the Clippers.