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Game Thread | 2020-2021 Season | Game #52 | Raptors @ Cavs | April 10, 2021

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Wham with the Right Hand

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The Cavs come home to take on the free-falling Toronto Raptors, losers of 15 of their last 18 games. The Raptors are 9-18 on the road and one-half game ahead of the Cavs for the coveted 11th place position in the Eastern Conference and the bragging rights for being the best team NOT to make the play-in.

Fred VanVleet, averaging 19.8 ppg and 6.1 assists (and my favorite comp to Darius Garland) is out. His backcourt partner in crime Kyle Lowry is a game time decision. But the Raps still have Norman Powell, averaging 19.6 ppg on 49.8% from the field and 43.9% on 3's. The Cavs kept him under control in the first meeting with 18 points. Pascal Siakam is averaging 20.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Og Anunoby is averaging 14.6 ppg on 47%.

If Lowry plays the Raptors have some guys who can fill it up between him, Powell, Siakam, and Anunoby. But they will definitely miss VanVleet.

PF Chris Boucher, 6'9", 200 pounds, is coming off a monster 38-point, 19-rebound game against the Bulls on Thursday, which the Raptors lost 122-113. He's averaging 13.7 and 6.5 rebounds so I don't know where that came from. He only had 2 points in 13 minutes against the Cavs. Boucher is incredibly inconsistent. In his last 11 games he failed to score in double figures six times. But he's had games of 29, 30, and 38 points in the last six weeks. You never know if he'll disappear or go off.

The Cavs beat the Raptors on March 21 by a score of 116-105. Larry Nance Jr and Jarrett Allen combined for 27 points and 22 rebounds but neither is available tonight. We will have Love and Hartenstein, however, who did not play in the first game. The Raptors will be missing VanVleet and possibly Lowry, which will deplete their bench. Sexton had 36 for the Cavs and Wade had 16 off the bench as the Cavs shot 51.5% on 3's.

The Raptors lost to the Bulls Thursday with Lowry and FVV out. Their replacement starting guards went 5-for-25. No wonder Boucher took so many shots. Lowry's spot in the starting lineup was taken by Malachi Flynn, a rookie and the 29th pick, who is shooting 33.3% and averaging 3.9 ppg.

Over the last 18 games the Raptors lost to the last place Pistons three times (by 24, 4, and 14 points). They've been really bad. The Houston Rockets, by the way, are 3-28 over their last 31 games and one of those wins was by 18 over the Raptors.

In the last game against the Cavs the Raptors were outrebounded 54-37 and shot only 15-for-46 on 3's. However, they forced the Cavs into 26 turnovers or the game would have been a blowout. The Raptors are 5th in steal percentage so that's an area where the Cavs have to be careful - the Raptors relentlessly go for the steal on defense.

The Raptors are 3rd in percentage of points on 3's so they will jack them up. They are 3rd in 3-point rate, shooting from deep 45.7% of the time.

The Raptors are not that big with a starting front line of 6'9", 6'9", 6'7" and a backcourt of 6'5" and 6'1". The Cavs should dominate the glass again.

The keys to this game for the Cavs are to reduce their turnovers (26 is way too many), continue to dominate the glass, and keep Powell and Boucher from going off. Powell had a 43-point game this season and Boucher got 38 two nights ago. I would try to trap these guys and make them give up the ball. The Cavs have to defend the 3-point shot well since the Raptors will be putting up a lot of them.

Hartenstein and Love might have some success posting up on offense. Sexton got 36 against the Lowry/VanVleet backcourt last time so another big game from him would be nice. I don't expect the Cavs to hit 51% of their 3's tonight so they will need to protect the ball and control the boards.

The Cavs have won back-to-back games by over 20 points for the first time since a fella named LeBron was on the team. They could get the trifecta tonight if they continue to play at that level, especially if Lowry is out.

Lowry just turned 35 and as somebody said, Father Time is undefeated. But Lowry is still averaging 34.6 minutes when he plays (39 of 52 games) and his shooting percentages are higher than his career averages across the board. His rebounds and assists are also higher than his career averages. He's not quite the scorer he was at his peak five years ago, but his rebounds and assists are higher even than in his best seasons. Father Time will win but Lowry is making him wait.
 
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The Cavs come home to take on the free-falling Toronto Raptors, losers of 15 of their last 18 games. The Raptors are 9-18 on the road and one-half game ahead of the Cavs for the coveted 11th place position in the Eastern Conference and the bragging rights for being the best team NOT to make the play-in.

Fred VanVleet, averaging 19.8 ppg and 6.1 assists (and my favorite comp to Darius Garland) is out. His backcourt partner in crime Kyle Lowry is a game time decision. But the Raps still have Norman Powell, averaging 19.6 ppg on 49.8% from the field and 43.9% on 3's. The Cavs kept him under control in the first meeting with 18 points. Pascal Siakam is averaging 20.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Og Anunoby is averaging 14.6 ppg on 47%.

If Lowry plays the Raptors have some guys who can fill it up between him, Powell, Siakam, and Anunoby. But they will definitely miss VanVleet.

PF Chris Boucher, 6'9", 200 pounds, is coming off a monster 38-point, 19-rebound game against the Bulls on Thursday, which the Raptors lost 122-113. He's averaging 13.7 and 6.5 rebounds so I don't know where that came from. He only had 2 points in 13 minutes against the Cavs. Boucher is incredibly inconsistent. In his last 11 games he failed to score in double figures six times. But he's had games of 29, 30, and 38 points in the last six weeks. You never know if he'll disappear or go off.

The Cavs beat the Raptors on March 21 by a score of 116-105. Larry Nance Jr and Jarrett Allen combined for 27 points and 22 rebounds but neither is available tonight. We will have Love and Hartenstein, however, who did not play in the first game. The Raptors will be missing VanVleet and possibly Lowry, which will deplete their bench. Sexton had 36 for the Cavs and Wade had 16 off the bench as the Cavs shot 51.5% on 3's.

The Raptors lost to the Bulls Thursday with Lowry and FVV out. Their replacement starting guards went 5-for-25. No wonder Boucher took so many shots. Lowry's spot in the starting lineup was taken by Malachi Flynn, a rookie and the 29th pick, who is shooting 33.3% and averaging 3.9 ppg.

Over the last 18 games the Raptors lost to the last place Pistons three times (by 24, 4, and 14 points). They've been really bad. The Houston Rockets, by the way, are 3-28 over their last 31 games and one of those wins was by 18 over the Raptors.

In the last game against the Cavs the Raptors were outrebounded 54-37 and shot only 15-for-46 on 3's. However, they forced the Cavs into 26 turnovers or the game would have been a blowout. The Raptors are 5th in steal percentage so that's an area where the Cavs have to be careful - the Raptors relentlessly go for the steal on defense.

The Raptors are 3rd in percentage of point on 3's so they will jack them up. They are 3rd in 3-point rate, shooting from deep 45.7% of the time.

The Raptors are not that big with a starting front line of 6'9", 6'9", 6'7" and a backcourt of 6'5" and 6'1". The Cavs should dominate the glass again.

The keys to this game for the Cavs are to reduce their turnovers (26 is way too many), continue to dominate the glass, and keep Powell and Boucher from going off. Powell had a 43-point game this season and Boucher got 38 two nights ago. I would try to trap these guys and make them give up the ball. The Cavs have to defend the 3-point shot well since the Raptors will be putting up a lot of them.

Hartenstein and Love might have some success posting up on offense. Sexton got 36 against the Lowry/VanVleet backcourt last time so another big game from him would be nice. I don't expect the Cavs to hit 51% of their 3's tonight so they will need to protect the ball and control the boards.

The Cavs have won back-to-back games by over 20 points for the first time since a fella named LeBron was on the team. They could get the trifecta tonight if they continue to play at that level, especially if Lowry is out.

Lowry just turned 35 and as somebody said, Father Time is undefeated. But Lowry is still averaging 34.6 minutes when he plays (39 of 52 games) and his shooting percentages are higher than his career averages across the board. His rebounds and assists are also higher than his career averages. He's not quite the scorer he was at his peak five years ago, but his rebounds and assists are higher even than in his best seasons.
Great pregame write up once again! But
Powell was traded to the trailblazers for Trent.
 

Pascal Siakam (rest, tanking) will not play on Saturday vs. the Cavaliers.​

The 20-32 Raptors may be throwing the towel on their season despite still being in reach of a play-in spot. GM Masai Ujiri kept talking about why his first-round pick this season would be such an asset to the franchise going forward when they failed to move Kyle Lowry at the deadline, so that was a pretty big tell of what's to come. With Siakam resting on the front end of the back-to-back, Chris Boucher is set up for a truly monstrous evening.
 
Great pregame write up once again! But
Powell was traded to the trailblazers for Trent.
Whoops, sorry. There were so many trades I couldn't keep up with all of them and honestly I didn't really try. I look at the ESPN stats and they keep the traded players' stats displayed even after they're gone. I should start checking the roster.

So no VanVleet, Powell, or Siakam. There goes about 75% of their starting production and if Lowry is out they're down to nothing but bench. However, when bench guys get a chance to show they deserve more minutes and more money they come out with their hair on fire so the Cavs have to be prepared for a dogfight.
 
Like..the Raptors shouldn't be THIS bad.

I certainly don't think, on paper, the Cavs have more talent minus Nance and Allen.

Siakim, Lowry, OG, Gary Trent Jr., VanVleet. The should be more like a .500 team right now.
 
Wade got bullied. Got damn
 
That was nasty as fuck by DG. Got damn.
 
Prince doesn't put much effort into his defense.
 
Cavs getting killed. Sexton getting blocked to death. DG missed an easy layup.
 
When the fuck is JA coming back? No news.
 
The ball faking clicking tonight lol
 
That was Sexton's fault leaving Hood open...I saw that whole thing,he needs to pay attention...


The Raptors are killing us in the paint area....
 
This game is a snooze fest bunch a whistle on every possession is just sucky basketball unwatchable
 

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