Toronto Raptors (0-2) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (2-0)
When: Saturday, May 5, 8:30 P.M. ET
Where: Quicken Loans Arena
Broadcast info: ABC, Sportsnet One, TSN1050
LAST MEETING
The Cavaliers rolled to a 128-110 Game 2 victory behind a monster performance from LeBron James to take a 2-0 series lead. After the Raptors led through the first half for the second consecutive game, James and the Cavaliers exploded in the third quarter to take control of the game. James finished with 43 points and 14 assists and Kevin Love added 31 points and 11 rebounds. The Raptors were led by DeMar DeRozan's 24 points, while Kyle Lowry had 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting.
LEADING INTO TONIGHT'S GAME
Injury report: The injury report is currently clear for both teams.
On the road again: After dropping the first two games in the series, things now shift to Cleveland where Games 3 and 4 will be played. The Raptors are the only team in the NBA that has not dropped three consecutive games this season. Toronto is 6-0 following back-to-back losses this season.
Third quarter push: In Game 2, Toronto led by as many as nine points in the half, before Cleveland trimmed the deficit to two points at the break. The Raptors shot 59 percent in the half, to 55 percent for the Cavaliers. Things flipped in the third quarter when Cleveland outscored Toronto 37-24, shooting 73 percent as Toronto's field goal percentage dipped to 47 percent. The Cavaliers had 16 made field goals in the quarter, compared to nine for Toronto as they went from down two at the half to ahead by 11 heading into the fourth.
EXTRA ASSISTS
Limiting turnovers: For the second straight game, the Cavaliers have had a significant advantage in points scored off turnovers. After a 21-4 edge in Game 1, the Raptors gave Cleveland 13 points off 11 turnovers in Game 2. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, turned the ball over just three times, leading to four points scored by Toronto. In the first two games combined, Cleveland is outscoring the Raptors 34-8 on points scored off turnovers.
Double-double: Jonas Valanciunas had another double-double in Game 2 with 16 points and 12 rebounds. This follows his 21-point, 21-rebound performance in Game 1, which was the first 20-20 playoff game in Raptors franchise history. Valanciunas is averaging 14.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in the postseason.
Ready for Saturday: Of course the Raptors would have preferred to not be on the road trailing 0-2 with games 3 and 4 to be played in Cleveland, but a rocky start doesn't change the realities of a seven-game series. The Raptors are looking at Game 3 and Game 3 only for the time being. "We've been in tough situations before, and sometimes when you're put in tough situations that's what brings the best out of you," DeMar DeRozan said. "That's what point we're at now. It's the first team to win four. We understand where we at, and we're going to fight."