Cavs at Raptors Game 3
- Game 3 of the NBA first round shifts to Toronto tonight with the Cavaliers visiting the Raptors. - The matchup moves to Toronto on April 23, with updated injury reports and projected starters. - This road swing could swing series momentum quickly, so watch lineup and matchup tweaks closely ( ).
Cleveland takes a 2-0 lead into Toronto on Thursday night, with Game 3 set for 8 p.m. Eastern at Scotiabank Arena. (nba.com) The Cavaliers won Game 1, 126-113, and Game 2, 115-105, and they have averaged 120.5 points through the first two games of the series. Donovan Mitchell leads the matchup at 31.0 points per game, while Toronto’s top scorer in the series is RJ Barrett at 23.0. (nba.com) Game 3 is Cleveland’s first road game of the series after a 52-30 regular season that included a 25-16 away record. Toronto went 46-36 and 24-17 at home, and ESPN listed the Raptors as slight favorites by late Thursday afternoon despite the 0-2 deficit. (espn.com) The immediate question is ball security. Toronto committed 22 turnovers in Game 2 and 40 across the first two games, which turned into 44 Cleveland points, Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said after Monday’s loss. (cbssports.com) Toronto also needs more from Brandon Ingram and Jakob Poeltl. Ingram scored 17 points in Game 1 and seven in Game 2 on 3-for-15 shooting, while Poeltl had two points and four rebounds in 9 minutes, 26 seconds on Monday. (cbssports.com) Cleveland’s adjustment has been to open with Dean Wade on Ingram. Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said after Game 2 that the staff viewed Ingram as “the head of the snake,” and Wade started both games as the primary perimeter defender. (cbssports.com) The injury report remained unsettled Thursday. ESPN listed Cleveland center Thomas Bryant as game-time with a calf issue, while Toronto listed Immanuel Quickley with a hamstring strain and Ja’Kobe Walter with an illness as game-time decisions; Chucky Hepburn was out for the season with a knee injury. (espn.com) Under NBA reporting rules, teams must file a game-day injury report between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time, with earlier windows for games tipping at 5 p.m. or sooner, and updates can continue through the day. (official.nba.com) CBS Sports noted that Cleveland has beaten Toronto in 12 straight playoff games, tying the NBA postseason record for consecutive wins by one team over one opponent. Toronto gets Games 3 and 4 at home, with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday, April 26. (cbssports.com, nba.com) By Thursday night, the series shifts from Cleveland’s control to Toronto’s response: protect the ball, get Ingram and Poeltl going, and see whether Quickley can play. (cbssports.com, espn.com)
