Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Keys To Beating Toronto Raptors

Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Keys To Beating The Raptors

May 8, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) hugs teammate forward Kevin Love (0) after defeating the Atlanta Hawks 100-99 in game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

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Nov 25, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo (8) dunks the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Cavaliers 103-99. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

3. The Bismack Biyombo Factor

Raptors big man Jonas Valanciunas suffered a sprain ankle in Game 3 of the series against the Heat. He has been ruled out of Game 1 of this series and is questionable for Game 2.

This was a huge blow for the Raptors, as Valanciunas averaged 18.3 points and 12.7 rebounds on 64 percent shooting from the floor through the first three games against Miami.

Forced to fill the void on the fly, Raptors coach Dwane Casey inserted Bismack Biyombo into the starting lineup and he has filled in quite nicely to say the least.

Over the last four games, Biyombo is averaging 11 points and 12 rebounds per contest while converting 65 percent of his shot attempts. In that decisive Game 7, he scored 17 points, pulled down 16 boards and blocked two shots.

This was the reason why the Raptors won the rebounding battle by a 50-30 margin and enjoyed a 27-9 edge in second-chance points.

Biyombo isn’t as polished around the rim as Valanciunas from an offensive standpoint. However, he will cause the Cavaliers problems if they overlook his potential impact.

Next: No. 2

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