By: Mike Holzheimer
The brink of elimination.
That is where the Toronto Raptors find themselves once again regarding a key NBA Eastern Conference playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Staring in the face of a most undesirable 3-0 deficit, the Raptors seem ready to hit the canvas by way of a wine and gold knockout punch to the jaw that should be delivered tonight in Game 4 at Quicken Loans Arena.
The boxing analogy seems appropriate in that the facial expressions shown by Toronto players during the first three games of this series haven’t exactly been one that inspires confidence. The Raptors look like that fighter who can’t get to his corner fast enough after receiving one body and facial blow after another following a physically tough three-minute round. Yes, it would appear that team from the North is ready to take a page out of legendary boxer Roberto Duran’s book throwing in the white towel and telling the referee “no mas, no mas.”
Cavalier coach Tyronn Lue, though, doesn’t expect the Raptors to simply give in to the situation.
“We know they are going to come out swinging, they are a team that is well coached with a lot of pride,” Lue said during an interview following practice at the Cleveland Clinic Court facility in Independence. “They are going to do everything they can to get the series back to Toronto. They’re not just going to give in. We understand that and we just have to come out with the right mindset, match their intensity early and close it out if we can.”
No player has been more ready to come out swinging, both at the start and obviously at the finish of playoff games than LeBron James. His buzzer-beater to give Cleveland the dramatic Game 3 victory Saturday night, 105-1103, was just another dagger finding its Toronto target. And the simple fact is that the Raptors know that James is coming, and they simply can do nothing to stop it.
And while the league’s MVP award is based on numbers reflecting the regular season only, James’ postseason numbers is more than suggesting to voters that Houston’s James Harden should not be the only one in the conversation when it comes to handing out the trophy to the league’s best player for 2017-18. James’ playoff numbers show an average of 34.8 points a game, along with 9.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists per contest. His 348 total points in the 10 playoff games thus far is the most since Michael Jordan scored 354 through 10 postseason contests in 1992.
Throw into the mix that James is averaging 41.7 minutes per game, which takes into account 92 total games this year, and the fact that he played all 82 games during the regular season, one should consider that such an effort is fairly “valuable.”
In terms of value, Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan has been very productive, but in these playoff games against Cleveland, he hasn’t been showing the all-star numbers the team was expecting. Coach Dwane Casey went so far as to sit DeRozan during the entire fourth quarter during Game 3. A move that had Toronto folks scratching their head, and one DeRozan, when asked if Casey explained to him why he sat in the last quarter, basically responded with a “no” reply. This could be just one of many frustrating puzzle pieces within the Raptor locker room. Given the score of the game Saturday night, one would question why wasn’t one of your all-star players on the floor? It may be speculation but it is reasonable to suggest negative attitudes are rearing their ugly heads around Casey’s squad.
These attitudes are very evident when watching Toronto out on the court. Yes, they do make their runs and are making the Cavs work for it but once you see James do his thing along with Kevin Love, JR Smith, Jeff Green and Kyle Korver knocking down shots, those “looks” come out again that seemingly reveal the thought that is in the head of every Toronto player: “we can’t beat this team.”
Smith was shutout in terms of scoring in Game 3, and while Toronto may suggest it was Casey’s lineup change that saw the insertion of guard Fred VanVleet for Segre Ibaka, it may have been more the fact that Smith was ill Saturday night. Lue even suggested Smith shouldn’t have even played. But again, if Korver, Love and Green remain consistent from the outside, Smith can be absent from the scoring column without hurting Cleveland.
Kyle Lowry, in DeRozan’s Game 3 absence, did what he could to keep Toronto close scoring 15 of his 27 points during the Raptors’ fourth quarter comeback. But Lowry will need his backcourt running mate to produce if they both hope to return home and extend this series.
The idea of there even being a Game 5 doesn’t look to be very practical at this point. And the odds of Toronto coming all the way back to win the series being down 3-0? Let’s put it this way regarding a footnote in history-General George Custer had better odds surviving the Battle of Little Bighorn.
In the end, it all comes down to James. If he takes charge and stays in the attack mode, he cannot be guarded. It is tough enough playing these Cavaliers with No. 23 leading the way but it seems apparent that Toronto is also battling a second opponent in this series-themselves.
And that is a tough assignment to overcome, and one that is hardly a recipe for success
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