Dec 5 vs Raptors

clejgabriele

Wrap-Up – Playing in the second-half of a back-to-back against the top team in the East after arriving in Toronto in the wee hours of Friday morning, it would have been forgivable for the Cavaliers to have their win streak snapped at five. But the red-hot Wine and Gold had revenge in mind, and they held off every Raptors’ second-half salvo to take the 105-91 win at the Air Canada Centre.

LeBron James orchestrated a beautiful floor game and kept the Cavaliers in charge for all four quarters. The four-time MVP led his squad in scoring with 24 points and led both teams with 13 helpers and three steals, adding seven boards and a blocked shot. He and Tristan Thompson punished Toronto with the high screen-and-roll throughout the fourth quarter as Thompson manhandled his hometown team in the post – notching 15 of his 21 points and seven of his 14 boards in the fourth quarter.

LeBron, TT, and KLove all register double-doubles.

Watch full final game highlights from Friday's win.

Kevin Love tallied a double-double of his own, finishing with 15 points and 13 boards. And Kyrie Irving, fresh off a heroic performance the previous evening in New York, scored nine of his 15 points in the critical third quarter of Friday’s win.  James Jones, who hadn’t seen action in four straight games, came off Cleveland’s bench and – with Mike Miller on the shelf after suffering concussion-like symptoms the night before – canned a pair of consecutive treys that helped pad the Cavs’ first-half lead.

The Raptors had topped the Cavaliers almost two weeks earlier at The Q – turning an 18-point deficit into a 17-point win. And that loss was at the forefront of Cleveland’s mind when they came to town. Unlike that loss, the Cavs were careful with the ball – committing just 13 turnovers and holding the high-octane Raptors to 41 percent shooting.

Turning Point – After leading for most of the night, Kyle Lowry’s three-pointer with 7:14 to play in the third gave Toronto a one-point edge and it looked like momentum might push them past the Wine and Gold. But after Kevin love drained a pair of free throws, Kyrie and LeBron canned back-to-back treys to improve Cleveland’s lead to 11. Toronto would get no closer than six the rest of the way.

Scene and Heard – On Friday night, the Raptors honored the life and works of “The Giant of Africa” – Nelson Mandela – at the Air Canada Centre.  There were some heavyweights on-hand to help with the celebration – including Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Dikembe Mutombo and UN Goodwill Ambassador and 1999 Miss Universe winner Mpule Kwelagobe.

Cavs coach David Blatt was asked about Mandela’s impact and what Friday’s celebration means.

”Certainly, Nelson Mandela was a champion, if not the champion for peace and for bringing people together and fostering understanding – an example for overcoming adversity and adhering to principles that are valuable to all of us. And Toronto and the Raptors honoring him in the way that they are, together with the NBA, is what we’re all about. And (the Cavs) are proud to be a part of it.”

By the Numbers – 33 … bench points for the Cavaliers, led by Tristan’s 21. Cleveland’s reserves had been averaging just over 20 points per contest in the previous five games, but did some serious damage without two of their top second unit guys – Mike Miller and Matthew Dellavedova – on Friday night.

Quotable – Coach David Blatt, on his squad’s performance on Friday night  …

”Sometimes when you deal with a little bit of adversity like the tough game that we had last night, very, very tough travel and immediate turnaround less than 24 hours for a back-to-back against the number one team in the East, it raises your level of motivation and awareness and I thought that’s just what happened.”

Up Next – The Cavaliers wrap up the three-game roadie on Monday night with a battle in Brooklyn against the defensive-minded Nets. The Wine and Gold return home (briefly) for their third meeting of the young season against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night at The Q. But they get right back on the road afterward – traveling to OKC to take on Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Thunder on Thursday night. On Friday, the Cavs wrap up their season series with the Pelicans in New Orleans. After their trip to the Big Easy, the Cavs are home until traveling to Miami on Christmas Day.

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Cavs Top Raptors to Take Sixth Straight

clejcaione

Thoughts on the game…
Sometimes  when you deal with a little bit of adversity like the tough game that we had  last night, very, very tough travel and immediate turnaround less than 24 hours  for a back-to-back against the number one team in the East, it raises your  level of motivation and awareness and I thought that’s just what happened.  Obviously we didn’t practice when we came in  the morning.  We had a good morning film  session and walk through and we just came to play and it was evident from the  very first minute. 

On Tristan Thompson…
  Tristan,  as I’ve said many times, he together with Andy (Anderson Varejao) is a starter  for us.  That’s the kind of contribution  we hope to get out of the two of them, if not individually then combined on a  nightly basis.  Tristan just came out and  played an exceptional game on both ends of the court, defending, rebounding in  traffic, finishing around the basket, making good decisions with the ball when  he didn’t have shots and just competing at a high level.  Obviously he was really a key to our win.

On tonight’s  festivities…
  I  thought what the Raptors, together with the NBA and NBA players, did tonight  for Nelson Mandela who was such a great and ardent supporter of sport as a  means of bringing people closer together and achieving the goals of  understanding, inequality and togetherness.   On a human level it was a great night all around, it really was.

Magic Johnson was on  the broadcast and felt that you played a “Magic” type game…
To  have legends here and see Charles (Barkley) and Magic (Johnson) in the crowd is  spectacular. For me I just try and do whatever it takes to win and being able  to get my teammates involved, assists to me mean more than anything.

How close are you  defensively to where you want to be?
  We  are very close. We are not good enough now to have lulls. One possession, two  possessions it seems like every time we take just one possession off, we get  burned. We went for a steal and Terrence Ross got a three. We didn’t pick up  (Kyle) Lowry at the point of attack and he hit another three. We are not that  good just yet to be able to take possessions off and still be able to get back.  I think that the progression we have made the last couple of weeks is  definitely a plus.

Thoughts on the  celebration of Nelson Mandela something that is maybe bigger than basketball…
  It  is bigger than basketball. It is a man that only represented his own homeland  and not only America and here in Canada he speaks volumes in all parts of  world. It just goes to show that what one man can do by his voice, his power.  For us to be able to celebrate him and the greatest game in the world  basketball, I think it was pretty cool.

Thoughts on James  Jones staying ready…
  It  is not surprising to me. I know him, I have been with him forever. So when he  came in the game, I knew as soon as he got one look he was going to make it. He  is going to make the next one too. He doesn’t miss. It’s a lot of pressure on  him, but it is really not because he doesn’t miss. If he gets any look at it  nine times out of 10 he is going to can it.

On the importance of  getting something from the bench…
Every  night coach challenges us, the bench, to come out and bring some life.  We don’t want our stars to play so heavy  minutes and drain themselves out so we have to be able to come in and keep the  energy high, and that’s what we did tonight.

Do you still get up  for games in Toronto?
  It’s  always fun to come home and play the Raptors.   I guess these games are a little heightened up a little bit more because  we have a new teammate and they’re playing really well right now. Whenever you  can get a win on this court it’s definitely a good feeling.  Now we have Brooklyn.

Thoughts on the game…
They  (Cleveland) were hitting on all cylinders, and they were executing as well as  you could ask for. (LeBron) James, (Kevin) Love, they were doing everything, so  hats off to them. I would say that I know this team tonight wasn’t us.  Sometimes in the NBA schedule and the first game back from a west coast trip,  the worst team you want to see is a team as talented as Cleveland. But again,  hats off to them; they spanked us.

Thoughts on the team’s  defensive play on the glass…
  Tristan  Thompson had nine offensive rebounds. We got some stops, and it seemed like we  were doing a good job and getting them off there and then all at once he would  come up with the ball. Again, they’re a good offensive rebounding team and  active. (LeBron) James is one of the best players in the league, but again, we  didn’t shoot the ball very well. But we’re better than that, I know we’ll  bounce back. I’ve got all of the confidence that our team will bounce back.

Thoughts on defending  LeBron James…
  I  thought (LeBron) James did an admirable job, and we did as well as we could.  Again, though, when he missed, we have to come up with the ball. I thought by  missing shots, our bad offensive shooting night went over to our defense and  made our defense even worse. It was a snowball effect. They whooped us, they  spanked us, and we have to put this game in the rearview mirror and get ready  for Denver.

Thoughts on the Nelson  Mandela tribute…
  It  was huge. It was a beautiful day and Masai (Ujiri) did a magnificent job of  putting this all together. To see guys like Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley and  Dikembe Mutombo come in, all the guys that were a big part of the NBA’s  history, and the message that Nelson Mandela sent throughout the world was  huge. This was bigger than basketball, and that was the theme of the night for  our players. What was going on upstairs was far bigger than basketball, and I  lived it, went through it and understand it. It meant a lot to our players and  it was a magnificent night for our organization.    

Is  this a different Cavaliers team than you saw two weeks ago?
Yes, it looked like they moved the ball extremely well  tonight. Tristan Thompson came in and really affected the game. They played  well together tonight.

Thoughts  on shots not falling tonight...
  We were just missing shots. I don't think there's  anything we could've done differently. G (Greivis Vasquez) had a rough night, I  had a rough night. The only ones who shot over 50 percent I think were JJ  (James Johnson) and Amir (Johnson). We will come in on Sunday, get our shots up  and I'm sure the shots we missed tonight will fall on Monday.

Thoughts on game... 
I think we were just a little flat. We were there, we were  playing hard and we just missed some easy shots. Our  defensive schemes were not all the way there. We  messed up on some defensive possessions.

When LeBron James  initiates the offense how does stopping him change? 
  It wasn't him. It was our defensive schemes.  We were not committed fully to all of our defensive  schemes.  We would go trap and then we wouldn't rotate in the right positions. I put the  game on us we were just flat.

Did they seem like a  different team than two weeks ago? 
  They are starting to pick it up. They are definitely  starting to play better and move the ball better than they did.

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Game Quotes: Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors - Dec. 5

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Cavs vs. Toronto Raptors  - December 5, 2014

Listen to Radio Play-by-Play announcer John Michael's Call of the Game during the Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors game on December 5, 2014. Tristan Thompson gathers a loose ball and hammers it home to give the Cavs a 101-91 lead..

Escucha a la voz en español de los Cavaliers Rafa "El Alcalde" con la narración de la jugada del partido entre Los Cavaliers de Cleveland vs. Los Raptors de Toronto  en El Air Canada Centre de Toronto, Canadá el 5 de Diciembre del 2014.  Los Cavs derrotaron a los Raptors 105-91 con Lebron James anotando 24 puntos, incluyendo este triple que puso a los Cavs por 11 en el ultimo cuarto y rumbo a la sexta victoria consecutiva.

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Call of the Game: Cavs vs. Toronto Raptors - Dec. 5

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Five Keys: Cavaliers at Raptors - December 5, 2014

clenadams

Toronto Raptors President and General Manager Masai Ujiri will honour his hero Nelson Mandela alongside some of the world’s biggest sports icons this Friday, December 5. On the first anniversary of Mandela’s passing The Giant of Africa presented by Bell will be an evening-long celebration of the late former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner while supporting the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Ujiri’s non-for-profit organization, Giants of Africa.

The tribute will begin with a panel discussion inside the Toronto Raptors practice court before the team tips off against the Cleveland Cavaliers.  In front of an intimate audience NBA legends Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson and Dikembe Mutombo, along with UN Goodwill Ambassador and 1999 Miss Universe winner Mpule Kwelagobe will discuss Mandela’s determination to inspire positive change and teach the world to rise above adversity regardless of situation.  The panel discussion will also be moderated by TSN’s James Duthie and co-founder of Face 2 Face Africa, Sandra Appiah.  Other notable guests of the event are Raptors alumnus Tracy McGrady, Toronto Maple Leaf Jonathan Bernier, Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan, Artistic Director of TIFF, Cameron Bailey, Toronto Argo alumnus Michael “Pinball” Clemons, Deputy Commissioner of the NBA, Mark Tatum and Vice President of NBA Africa, Amadou Fall.  The Giant of Africa presented by Bell will raise funds for the Nelson Mandela Foundation as well as Ujiri’s Giants of Africa with the purpose of continuing to create opportunities for African youth.

The tribute to Mandela’s life will then continue in-game as the Raptors take on the Cavaliers.  To honour him, the full Raptors team will wear special, limited edition adidas shooting shirts and team management will don commemorative Giant of Africa lapel pins.  In hopes to continue conveying Mandela’s impactful lessons amongst fans, the game will also feature special videos and content from the event’s panelists, special guests, Raptors and Cavaliers players and many more.

“We are fortunate to honour Mandela this Friday,” said Masai Ujiri, Toronto Raptors President and General Manager.  “So much of what the world needs and deserves is what this great man was about.  He knew that sport had the power to change the world and what a better place to celebrate this man then at this game in Air Canada Centre.”

To commemorate this special celebration, the Toronto Raptors Store powered by Real Sports Apparel will sell limited edition ‘The Giant of Africa’ t-shirts featuring Mandela’s five pillars; being a leader, fighting for freedom, creating a better future, committing to the community and using sport to inspire change. Fans can purchase these shirts at Friday night’s game with proceeds supporting Giants of Africa.

For more event details visit: https://www.nba.com/raptors/giantofafrica

About Giants of Africa
Masai Ujiri founded Giants of Africa in 2003 to make a difference for kids in Africa using basketball as a tool. The organization’s mission is to use the game of basketball to educate and enrich the lives of the African youth by providing quality facilities, coaching and instruction. To learn more about the organization go to www.giantsofafrica.org/ can also follow Giants of Africa on Facebook at Facebook.com/GiantsofAfrica and on Twitter @GiantsofAfrica

About the Nelson Mandela Foundation
The Foundation was founded by former president Mandela when he stood down from public service in 1999. The aim of the Foundation is to contribute to the making of a just society by utilizing the legacy of Nelson Mandela as a vital instrument for sharing memory, for growing it, and for engaging it in the pursuit of social cohesion. This it does through providing an integrated and rich public information resource on his life and times, and by convening dialogue around critical social issues.

nelson-mandela-giant-of-africa

Nelson Mandela: Giant of Africa

Get live, in-game coverage and analysis of tonight's game as the Wine and Gold take on the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre.

Plus, get into the conversation and join the live chat below:

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Joe G's GameDay Blog and Chat - Dec. 5, 2014

The Wine and Gold look to extend their winning streak to six games tonight as they travel north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Cleveland (10-7) enters tonight's matchup on the second leg of a back-to-back after edging out the Knicks 90-87 last night in New York. The Cavs are 8-3 against the Eastern Conference in 2014-15.

During the five-game winning streak, the Cavs are winning by an average margin of 15.2 points. Cleveland is averaging 105.8 points on .511 shooting, while holding opponents to 90.6 points on .426 shooting.

Toronto (15-4) comes into the game with the Eastern Conference's best record despite losing their leading scorer, DeMar DeRozan, to a torn left abductor tendon.

Point guard, Kyle Lowry, has picked up the slack in DeRozan's absence scoring a career-high 39 points in Wednesday's 123-104 win at Utah. He has taken 21-plus shots in each of the last four games after doing so five times in 521 previous career games.

WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega, AM 1590 WAKR (Akron)

Friday’s game features two of the highest-scoring point guards...

Get into the conversation with other die-hards.

Probable Starters/Status Update*presented by Cleveland Clinic

Status Update: Matthew Dellavedova, (Left Knee MCL Sprain, Out), Mike Miller, (Concussion, Out)

Raptors: PG - Kyle Lowry, SG - Greivis Vasquez, SF - Terrence Ross PF - Amir Johnson, C - Jonas Valanciunas

Status Update: (Raptors) - DeMar DeRozen, (Torn Left Abductor Longus Tendon, Out)

In the first meeting on Nov. 22 at The Q, Cleveland outrebounded Toronto 46-34 and had a 52-34 edge in points in the paint. LeBron James (15 points, 10 assists) and Anderson Varejao (13 points, 12 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles. Kevin Love tallied a then season-high 23 points and seven rebounds while Kyrie Irving added 21 points and six assists.

The Wine and Gold lead the all-time series against the Raptors 39-34 (21-16 Home, 18-18 Road).

TV: FOX Sports Ohio, Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega, AM 1590 WAKR (Akron)

Tune into #CavsLive on FOX Sports Ohio starting at 7:00 p.m.

For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike, @chones22 and @ElalcaldeRafa on Twitter.

After tonight’s game, the Wine &amp; Gold will head back to the boroughs for a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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GameDay Preview: Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors

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