The Toronto Raptors return home to face the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
(11-3) Cleveland Cavaliers @ (9-6) Toronto Raptors
Probable starting line-ups:
Cleveland – PG – Mo Williams SG – J.R. Smith C – Tristan Thompson SF – LeBron James PF – Kevin Love
Toronto – PG – Kyle Lowry SG – DeMar DeRozan C – Bismack Biyombo SF – DeMarre Carroll PF – Luis Scola
Stats Leaders:
Cleveland – PPG – LeBron James 28.7 RPG – Kevin Love 11.7 APG – LeBron James 6.7
Toronto – PPG – DeMar DeRozan 20.9 RPG – Jonas Valanciunas 9.3 APG – Kyle Lowry 6.5
Team Scoring: (with league ranking in parentheses)
Cleveland – PF – 104.9 (4th) PA – 97.1 (6th)
Toronto – PF – 100.9 (15th) PA – 96.5 (5th)
Overview:
The Cleveland Cavaliers won their 3rd in a row with a 117-103 victory at home versus the Orlando Magic on Monday. Starting power forward Kevin Love led the team in scoring with 34 points. He also had 8 rebounds and 4 assists. He shot 11 of 18 from the field, 6 of 7 from the free throw line, and 6 of 9 from the 3 point line. Starting small forward LeBron James notched a double-double as he poured in 15 points and dished out 13 assists. He was 7 of 14 from the field and 1 of 5 from the free throw line. Starting shooting guard J.R. Smith tallied 26 points and 2 assists. He was 10 of 16 from the field and 6 of 10 from the 3 point line. Starting point guard Matthew Delavedova produced 15 points and 9 assists. He was 5 of 8 from the field, 1 of 1 from the free throw line, and 4 of 6 from the 3 point line. Starting center Tristan Thompson contributed with 9 points and 14 rebounds. He shot 3 of 4 from the field and 3 of 4 from the free throw line. The team shot 53.1% from the field, 59.1% from the free throw line, and 51.4% from the 3 point line. They attempted 22 free throws and only made 13 of them. They narrowly out-rebounded their opposition 41-39. They had 6 blocks in the game. They scored 42 points in the paint but allowed the Magic to score 44 points in the paint. Their best quarter was the 3rd as they outscored the Magic 33-21. Tonight is their 7th road game of the season. They are 3-3 on the road thus far. They are 4-0 versus Atlantic division opponents this season. Tonight is the first of a brief 2 game road trip. Their next game is Friday at the Charlotte Hornets.
The Toronto Raptors have won 2 straight after a 91-80 win at the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Starting shooting guard DeMar DeRozan tallied 21 points. He also had 6 rebounds and 3 assists. He shot 4 of 16 from the field and 13 of 14 from the free throw line. Starting small forward DeMarre Carroll poured in 21 points. He also had 5 rebounds and 4 steals. He was 8 of 13 from the field, 3 of 4 from the free throw line, and 2 of 3 from the 3 point line. Starting power forward Luis Scola contributed with 20 points and 8 rebounds. He was 8 of 16 from the field, 3 of 3 from the free throw line, and 1 of 3 from the 3 point line. Starting point guard Kyle Lowry chipped in with a double-double as he scored 13 points and dished out 10 assists. He also had 3 rebounds and 3 steals. The team shot 37.2% from the field, 93.5% from the free throw line, and 23.5% from the 3 point line. They attempted 31 free throws and only missed 2 of them. They out-rebounded the Clippers 46-42. They forced their opponent in to 19 turnovers. They scored 36 points the paint while only allowing the Clippers to score 26 points in the paint. They only had 11 fast break points. They only scored 28 points in the 2nd half (including only 8 in the 3rd quarter) but had 63-34 halftime lead. They outscored the Clippers 30-11 in the 2nd quarter. Tonight is their 5th home game of the season. They are 3-1 at home thus far. Including tonight they play 8 of their next 10 games at home. Their next game is Saturday at the Washington Wizards.
Last season Cleveland was victorious in 3 of 4 meetings with Cleveland. On November 22nd 2014, the Raptors cruised to a 110-93 road victory. On December 5th 2014, the Cavaliers rolled to a 105-91 win on the road. On December 9th 2014, the Cavaliers hung on for a 105-101 home win. On March 4th 2015, the Cavaliers scored a 120-112 victory on the road.
Prediction:
Ever since LeBron questioned his team’s drive they’ve responded with 3 wins in a row. I think they’ll make it 4 straight tonight.
Take the Cavaliers -3 (1.86) (Bet365)
Tagged With : Toronto Raptors betting
