Cavaliers-Raptors Preview
via ESPN
Even if Shaquille O'Neal's thumb injury keeps the big center out for any length of time, the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't take long to prove they can dominate without him.
The Toronto Raptors could have trouble doing the same without Chris Bosh.
The NBA's best team will be without O'Neal on Friday night at Toronto, but a bigger hole will likely remain in the Raptors' lineup as the Cavs go for a third straight victory.
O'Neal scored 20 points in consecutive games for the first time all season before Thursday's game, but he sprained his right thumb during the second quarter of a 108-88 win at Boston and did not return, with the team calling the injury "significant."
His absence didn't slow down the Cavs, who trailed by eight at the half but outscored the Celtics 60-32 after the break, led by 14 fourth-quarter points from Mo Williams.
"I think in the second half our level of aggressiveness really stepped up on both ends of the floor," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said.
LeBron James, who finished with 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, still insisted that the team can't do without O'Neal down the stretch. It's unclear how long the 37-year-old will be out.
"We need him out there," James said. "We play faster without Shaq in the lineup ... but in the playoffs you can't play fast all the time. You need to establish the half-court offense. That's what he does for us."
Cleveland (45-14) traded away another center, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, last week as part of the deal that brought forward Antawn Jamison to the Cavs. Although Washington bought out Ilgauskas' contract Thursday, the veteran cannot re-sign with Cleveland for 30 days.
Despite their sudden lack of depth in the middle, the Cavs have put their first three-game losing streak of the season behind them with back-to-back victories, preserving the league's best record and their status as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
That is mostly because of James, who has scored more than 30 points seven times in his last nine games. In a 13-game stretch since Jan. 26, he's second in the NBA in scoring (29.9 points per game) and third in assists (10.9).
James is part of a marquee collection of stars who can become free agents this summer, but he won't get to square off against Bosh, another member of that group.
"We're going to have a great challenge playing against one of the best players in the league and one of the best teams and we're not going to have our best (player)," Raptors coach Jay Triano told his team's official Web site.
Bosh has missed the last three games due to a sprained ankle, and while Toronto won the first two against lowly New Jersey and the Wizards, the Raptors lost 101-87 to visiting Portland on Wednesday.
Toronto (31-25) has not lost back-to-back games in more than a month, winning 10 of its last 13 to take over fifth place in the East. But that streak could be tough to maintain against the Cavs, who have won 14 of 17 against Toronto.
The Raptors opened their season with a 101-91 home win over Cleveland on Oct. 28, but that required 21 points and 16 rebounds from Bosh. They lost 108-100 at Cleveland on Jan. 19.
"I'm not going to push," Bosh said of his potential return. "We play them again so if I miss this time, there's always the next time."
Andrea Bargnani, who is averaging 23.5 points against the Cavs this season, may be a good candidate to replace some of Bosh's production.
Toronto had a sparse crowd Wednesday due to a Canadian Olympic hockey game that was occurring simultaneously, something that could be an issue again Friday, when Canada faces Slovakia in the semifinals later in the evening.
