Cavaliers-Raptors Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Jan 04 2012 12:19AM

Kyrie Irving's NBA debut against the Toronto Raptors was completely forgettable, but he's been showing why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft in four games since.

Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to win their third straight Wednesday night when they visit the Toronto Raptors.

While Cleveland saw Irving as a player it could build around when it drafted him last year, he struggled in his debut, scoring six points on 2-of-12 shooting in a 104-96 loss to Toronto on Dec. 26. He hit a meaningless 3-pointer in the final minute, and finished with seven assists and one turnover in 26 minutes.

Since that game, it's clear why the Cavaliers (3-2) are so high on Irving. He's averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 assists and is shooting 53.1 percent in his last four games.

Irving had 20 points, six assists and no turnovers in Cleveland's 115-101 win over Charlotte on Tuesday.

"Kyrie makes everyone around him better," coach Byron Scott said. "He gets more and more comfortable with each game. Tristan (Thompson is) in that same boat. He's starting to really understand his role and what he can do in this league."

Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the same draft, had his most effective game Tuesday with 16 points and nine rebounds. He's averaging 9.8 points and 5.2 boards.

Tuesday's victory moved the Cavaliers above .500 for the first time since Nov. 9, 2010, when they were 4-3. They won three straight only once last season, also coming in the opening weeks.

Cleveland has been better defensively since that last game against the Raptors, who shot 53.2 percent in the season opener. The Cavaliers' next three opponents didn't break 100 points and the last four have shot a combined 41.4 percent.

The Raptors (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 90-85 win at New York on Monday.

Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan each scored 21 points as Toronto opened a 17-point lead at halftime before holding off a late rally.

Despite the scare, the Raptors gave up their fewest points of the season while holding New York to 35.9 percent shooting.

Bargnani, averaging 22.6 points, scored four in the final 47 seconds after the Knicks had pulled within a point. He came in averaging 4.0 points and shooting 25.0 percent in the fourth quarter, but went 4 of 4 at the line, finishing with six points in 12 minutes.

Dwane Casey wants Bargnani to take on a bigger role and the coach is liking what he's seeing. Bargnani is averaging close to 37 minutes per game and has been more aggressive on the boards, pulling down 7.6 a game.

"He ran the floor really well and ... he's really giving it to us on the defensive end," Casey said. "He's got to maintain that stamina on both ends and that's what he's doing."

The Raptors have won three of four against the Cavaliers.

Bargnani scores 31 to lead Raptors over Cavaliers

Posted Jan 05 2012 12:04AM

TORONTO (AP) Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey isn't convinced that his team is a playoff contender yet. Still, he doesn't think they would look out of place in the postseason.

Andrea Bargnani scored 31 points in leading the Raptors to their second straight win, 92-77 over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

DeMar DeRozan added 25 points for the Raptors and Jose Calderon had 13 points and 11 assists.

"We're playing playoff style basketball," said the first-year coach. "Whether we're a playoff team or not, I venture to say we're not right now.

"But we're playing the style of defense that it takes to play in the playoffs," he added.

The Raptors (3-3) showed their defensive toughness by holding Cleveland to just under 30 percent shooting from the field while nearly shooting 47 percent themselves.

Toronto took the lead late in the first quarter and held it the rest of the way for its second victory of the season over the Cavaliers (3-3).

Strong defense is the style that Casey is trying to instill in the team in what he calls a culture change for the club.

"Believe me, we're nowhere near where we need to be," he said. "Defensively we're making strides. We're thinking defensively and thinking in terms of getting stops, which is a part of the culture change."

Casey also feels there is work to be done offensively.

"We need to clean up some things, timing, spacing, cut down on turnovers, which we did tonight," he said of Toronto, which had 11 turnovers.

It helps when Bargnani plays the way he has been, shooting 11 for 16 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds.

It also doesn't helps when DeRozan hits five 3-pointers, a skill that he has developed this season after hitting five all last season.

"It's showing me that my hard work is paying off," DeRozan said.

When DeRozan makes 3s, it opens up space for other players on the court.

"That's the one thing the team and I wanted to accomplish coming in this season, being able to do that, not just for myself but for my teammates so we can get easy buckets," DeRozan said.

Then there was Jose Calderon running the team, dishing out 11 assists to go with 13 points.

"He's much better than people give him credit for," Casey said of his point guard. "Solid play, running the team, shooting the basketball. He's one of our best 3-point shooters.

"He and Andrea have a thing going on with their pick and rolls," Casey said.

Antawn Jamison led Cleveland with 19 points with Kyrie Irving adding 12 and Omri Casspi scoring 10. Anderson Varejao led all rebounders with 13.

The game was an underwhelming homecoming for Cleveland rookie forward Tristan Thompson, a native of Brampton, Ont., and the fourth pick of the 2011 draft who scored one point in just under 17 minutes and was 0 for 5 from the field.

"I thought he didn't play well at all," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "But he isn't the only one. We had a bunch of guys that just didn't play well tonight."

Thompson, 20, entered the game with 1:09 left in the first quarter and received a round of applause. He left 26 tickets for friends and family and figured that he had a contingent of about 200 supporters cheering for him.

"Coach Scott is honest and he's played this game," Thompson said. "And he knows what me and Kyrie are capable of so him saying that we didn't play well is the truth, we didn't play well. Coach is great, him getting on me that is what I like. I like a coach that wants to push me to my limit. That is good."

Scott gave credit to the Raptors defense but felt his team was off after playing two nights in a row.

We seemed a step slow tonight on both ends of the floor and I don't know if that was because of our first back-to-back game," Scott said.

Bargnani had 21 points in the second half, 11 in the third quarter.

"It felt good in the second half, obviously," Bargnani said. "I think we played great defense. That is what we're working for here, very good defense."

The Raptors took a 15-point lead into the fourth quarter but the Cavaliers scored the first five points. Leandro Barbosa responded by hitting a 34-footer that brought a gasp from the crowd.

The Raptors beat the Cavs 104-96 in the opening game of the season for both teams on Dec. 26 in Cleveland. But Cleveland won three of their next four games before Wednesday's game while Toronto lost three in a row before beating the New York Knicks 90-85 on Monday.

NOTES: Attendance was 14,468. ...The Raptors assigned center Solomon Alabi to Bakersfield of the NBA Development League on Wednesday. ... Cleveland's 19-year-old rookie guard Irving was announced Wednesday as one of three Cavaliers placed on the ballot for voting for the NBA All-Star game with veterans Jamison and Varejao. ... Calderon, Bargnani and DeRozan were the Toronto players put on the ballot. ... Forward Samardo Samuels was not with the Cavaliers because of problems with his visa and passport. ... Cleveland assigned forward Christian Eyenga to the NBA Development League.

Notebook: Raptors 92, Cavaliers 77

By Duane Watson for NBA.com
Posted Wednesday January 4, 2012 10:25PM

THE FACTS: On the day the NBA released the ballots for the 2012 All-Star Game, the three representatives from the Toronto Raptors made a strong case for votes. Andrea Bargnani, Demar DeRozan and Jose Calderon led a balanced attack defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-77.

Bargnani led all Raptors scorers with 31 points and six rebounds, DeRozan scored 25, while Jose Calderon scored 13 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. Antawn Jamison led the Cavaliers with 19, however 17 of those came in the first half, Kyrie Irving scored 12 points. The Raptors suffered second half collapses on their recent road trip against the Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks, but never relinquished the lead after the first quarter and held the Cavaliers to 29.6 percent from the field.

QUOTABLE: "Confidence. He's playing at an all-star level. I've been around some all-star players, Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki he's playing at a big time level. I'm totally impressed with his approach offensively and defensively."
-- Raptors coach Dwane Casey on the difference in Andrea Bargnani this season.

THE STAT: DeRozan shot 5-for-8 from the 3-point line. Last year, he made five 3-pointers the entire season.

TURNING POINT: The Raptors led for the majority game, but a decisive 12-2 run to end the third quarter, 66-51, put the game well out of reach for the Cavaliers.

HOT: Bargnani contributed 31 points, going 11-for-16 from the field. He scored 11 points in the third quarter including his own 7-0 run scoring all Raptors points during that stretch, putting them ahead for good.

NOT: Irving can't get it going against the Raptors. The rookie point guard went 3-for-13 from the field with 12 points, and four assists. In the season opener against the Raptors, he posted a similar poor outing, going 2-for-11 with six points.

NOTABLE: Cavaliers rookie forward Tristan Thompson had his Toronto homecoming. The fourth overall pick in the 2011 Draft was limited to one point and three rebounds on 0-for-5 shooting.

UP NEXT: For the Raptors, Friday vs Nets, Saturday @ 76ers, Monday vs. Timberwolves. The Cavaliers, begin a six-game road trip @ Timberwolves, @ Trailblazers and @ Jazz.

• Cavaliers: Erden, Eyenga, Samuels
• Raptors: Alabi, Gray, Kleiza

• Cavaliers: --
• Raptors: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• Officials: #10 Ron Garretson, #42 Eric Lewis, #75 Eric Dalen
• Attendance: 14468
• Duration: 2:04