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Cavaliers Vs. Raptors Final Score: Cleveland Drops… |
Read More: Andrea Bargnani (F – TOR), Antawn Jamison (F – CLE), DeMar DeRozan (G – TOR), Kyrie Irving (G – CLE), Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers There’s something about the Toronto Raptors that really affects Kyrie Irving, who was virtually shut down in the first meeting between the two teams for the opener on Dec. 26. That was Irving’s NBA debut, and he didn’t fare well in his second meeting against them either, going just 1-for-7 from the field in the first half, and just 3-13 overall. Cleveland needed him to step it up as he has been in recent games, but wasn’t able to, and Toronto took the 92-75 win. It’s Toronto’s second win over the Cavs this season, in just six games. For the Cavaliers, it snapped a two-game winning streak, and for the Raptors, it snapped a losing streak. Antawn Jamison was the only player who performed well for Cleveland, with 19 points, six rebounds and a block, going 8-of-19 from the field. A monster performance from Andrea Bargnani led the Raptors to the win. He had 31 points with seven rebounds, three assists and a block on the night. It was helped, of course, by sinking six of seven free throws, but he went 11-for-16 from the field and led the Raptors to the win, in much the same way he did in the first outing, when he scored 21 points along with DeMar DeRozan, who shot 9-for-18 from the field and 5-for-8 from range, putting together a great performance on his own. Cleveland will next take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. For more on the Cleveland Cavaliers, go to Fear The Sword. For an opposing point of view, check out Raptors HQ. You can also head over to SB Nation’s main NBA hub at SBNation.com/NBA. If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it. Posted in nba, raptors, Uncategorized | Comments Off
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Raptors play host to improving Cavaliers |
Kyrie Irving’s profesisonal debut against the Toronto Raptors was completely forgettable, but he’s been showing why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft in the 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 three-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,” Cavaliers head 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, from Brampton, Ont., and 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 per cent in the season opener. The Cavaliers’ next three opponents didn’t break 100 points and the last four have shot a combined 41.4 per cent. 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 and held New York to 35.9 per cent 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 per cent 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 rookie head 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. What are your opinions. |
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Cavaliers-Raptors Preview |
Kyrie Irving’s NBA debut against the Toronto Raptors was completely Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to win their third straight While Cleveland saw Irving as a player it could build around when it drafted Since that game, it’s clear why the Cavaliers (3-2) are so high on Irving. Irving had 20 points, six assists and no turnovers in Cleveland’s 115-101 “Kyrie makes everyone around him better,” coach Byron Scott said. “He gets Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the same draft, had his most effective Tuesday’s victory moved the Cavaliers above .500 for the first time since Cleveland has been better defensively since that last game against the The Raptors (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 90-85 win at New Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan each scored 21 points as Toronto opened a Despite the scare, the Raptors gave up their fewest points of the season Bargnani, averaging 22.6 points, scored four in the final 47 seconds after Dwane Casey wants Bargnani to take on a bigger role and the coach is liking “He ran the floor really well and … he’s really giving it to us on the The Raptors have won three of four against the Cavaliers. Leave any suggestions in the comment box. |
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Cavaliers-Raptors Preview |
Kyrie Irving’s NBA debut against the Toronto Raptors was completely Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to win their third straight While Cleveland saw Irving as a player it could build around when it drafted Since that game, it’s clear why the Cavaliers (3-2) are so high on Irving. Irving had 20 points, six assists and no turnovers in Cleveland’s 115-101 “Kyrie makes everyone around him better,” coach Byron Scott said. “He gets Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the same draft, had his most effective Tuesday’s victory moved the Cavaliers above .500 for the first time since Cleveland has been better defensively since that last game against the The Raptors (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 90-85 win at New Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan each scored 21 points as Toronto opened a Despite the scare, the Raptors gave up their fewest points of the season Bargnani, averaging 22.6 points, scored four in the final 47 seconds after Dwane Casey wants Bargnani to take on a bigger role and the coach is liking “He ran the floor really well and … he’s really giving it to us on the The Raptors have won three of four against the Cavaliers. What do you guys think about this. |
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Raptors hold off the Knicks |
National Post Staff Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey has told his new team among all the things they will learn under his tutelage the most important is to know how to deal with run, because the opponent will, at some point in a game, start burying shots, and stopping that momentum could determine everything. The Raptors could not not stop the run Sunday, when Orlando went on a 16-0 run in the final period to erase a double-digit deficit and bury Toronto. And it almost got the best of them Monday in New York, when the Knicks found their groove in the third quarter and cut a 17-point lead down to three. But the Raptors turned some strong defensive rebounds and some key points off the bench into an 88-85 win. The Knicks, powered by Carmelo Anthony’s game-high 35 points, trimmed the Raptors’ lead to just a single point inside the game’s final seconds, but two key three throws from Andrea Bargnani, who had 21 points, sealed Toronto’s second win of the season. Although Toronto shot nearly 53% from the floor in the first quarter, the Knicks took a 23-22 lead thanks to five three-pointers — three from Anthony. Bargnani gave the Raptors early energy, however, making his first four shots. The Knicks appeared happy to continue to launch the ball from beyond the arc in the second period, but went scoreless for more than four minutes as the Raptors went on an 8-0 run. With Bargnani and Calderon on the bench, Anthony Carter fired quick, crisp passes to DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson as the Knicks were negligent to screen Toronto around the rim. Not even Anthony, who had 18 points before halftime, could stir New York’s offence. The Knicks were passive all over the floor and the team’s field-goal shooting dipped as low as 27.8% in the second quarter, while Calerdon spread the ball around and helped Toronto build a 17-point lead. Defensively,the Raptors tried to devour every shot that bounced off the rim and had 22 defensive rebounds compared to three offensive boards for the Knicks, who found it hard igniting their transition offence even after they abandoned a perimeter game and started driving to the basket. New York was far more aggressive after the interval, double-teaming high up the court and forcing Toronto to take quick, off-balance shots. As the Raptors began to struggle, Anthony and Tony Douglas started clawing the score line back. Douglas hit three three-pointers as New York outscored Toronto 24-16 in the third, but timely three-point plays off the bench from Rasual Butler, James Johnson and Leandro Barbosa helped maintain Toronto’s advantage, setting up an 8-2 for the Raptors to close out the third quarter. Bulter, who finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, was key in the final frame, blocking out Anthony and hitting timely threes. Barbosa offered 10 points off the bench, while DeRozan started slow once again but also finished with 21 points. National Post Comment Below!. |
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