The questions that will decide the winner of a thrilling Raptors-Cavaliers series
With the Eastern Conference matchup tied 2-2 heading into Game 5, let's break down what needs to flip for each team.
There’s an excitement attached to the unknown, particularly when it comes to basketball. It’s a big reason why I was initially drawn to the first-round matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors. There’s an inherent style clash between the two teams.
The Raptors with an aggressive, versatile defense and a half-court offense ( 10th during the regular season ) that can hit more notes than you think; the Cavaliers with an electric, star-led offense with a defense that can hit real high notes depending on the personnel. Normally, when prepping for a playoff matchup, you can glean some insights based on their regular-season meetings. You couldn’t really do that this time around; while the Raptors won all three games, all of those games occurred before Thanksgiving.
Multiple key pieces were missing in each matchup; heck, the James Harden trade was nearly three months away. In short, we were flying blind heading into this series — at least compared to others. We got a real look at Hawks-Knicks two weeks before the playoffs started, for example.
I’m pleased to announce that this best-of-seven has become a best-of-three, with a pivotal Game 5 on the horizon. The Cavs took care of business at home behind their coverage-breaking sets and nuclear shot-making ( 124. 7 offensive rating ).
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