Toronto Raptors Get Signature Win Over Cleveland Cavaliers
By Justin Rowan
The Toronto Raptors are trying to establish themselves as a contender. Despite the continued skepticism, the team has achieved another signature win against a contending team.
Coming into the season, there wasn’t much mention of the Toronto Raptors as a force in the East. Many focused on the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls as the teams that would be fighting for top position in the Eastern Conference. After a 99-97 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, the Raptors have a six-game lead over the third-place Boston Celtics.
They have shown that they are clearly the favorite to meet the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals, and have been getting it done without one of their key players in DeMarre Carroll.
The team has now beaten the Cavaliers twice, the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road, swept the Los Angles Clippers and got a home win against the San Antonio Spurs. In addition to those wins, they also have pushed the Golden State Warriors twice, suffering two close losses against the league’s best team.
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When you consider how dominant the Warriors have been this season, it’s hard to not feel encouraged by that.
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The success of the team this season can be attributed to both the depth and balance that they added in the summer. Last season’s Raptors were a very effective offensive team, but it was also one of the weaker defensive teams in the league.
They let scoring guards that didn’t always play within the team’s system go over the summer, in favor of players that were stronger defensively and would play within the confines of the team. In doing this they’ve managed to create a balanced roster that has a clear hierarchy.
DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have both stepped up in a big way and have solidified themselves as All Star guards in the East.
The team showcased its considerable depth Friday against Cleveland as DeRozan was suffering from the flu. Despite DeRozan shooting 1-for-11, they received meaningful contributions from Terrence Ross and Bismack Biyombo as they combined for 26 points off of the bench. In the past, the team might not have been able to survive poor shooting nights from its stars.
But with the team now having a top-10 defense, they were able to hang around and strike in the closing moments.
Lowry has also been spectacular for the team this season and Friday night may have been the best performance of his career. He scored a career-high 43 points and hit the first game-winning shot of his career.
His summertime weight loss has paid major dividends this season as he has managed to perform at a much more consistent level and has rededicated himself on the defensive end of the floor. For a team that has always been overlooked due to the perceived absence of a star, there’s an argument to be made that he’s been the best point guard in the East this season.
While the perceptions of this team likely will not be changed unless they make noise in the playoffs, it’s wins like these that will provide them with confidence and something to draw from when they inevitably face adversity. They have a collection of quality wins, an improved defense and a deeper roster.
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The team is in a great position for the future and once Carroll returns they’ll be in an even better position to be a force in the playoffs.