*Record 8-8*
And just like that, pressure is on. For me, of course, not for the Raptors or Cavs. I have yet to dip below .500 the whole playoffs and here I am with my back against the wall. So, let’s see how I fair tonight as we have the Cleveland Cavaliers out for vengeance after losing a physical Game 3 to a hungry Toronto Raptors’ team
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Toronto Raptors
The ball is in Cleveland’s court. In Game 3, they were out-hustled, lacked intensity, and came out flat. But let’s not forget that they are still one of the most dominant teams in the league and I expect them to come out guns blazing tonight. I don’t believe Cleveland, especially Kyrie Irving, will have two bad offensive performances in a row, so If Toronto wants to have a chance to win they need to keep up their defensive intensity and receive more offensive production from Kyle Lowry. Not that Lowry was bad in Game 3, he did score 20 points, but early foul trouble limited his minutes. As for defensively, Biyombo will have to continue to be a menace in the paint. The whole defense starts around him. If he controls the paint, it gives Lowry and Joseph more leeway to pester Irving. I’m expecting a close game, but I think the Cavs edge it out in the end just because of their superior offense. However, I have the Raptors with the spread as the 6 point underdogs. If they continue to play tough defense, I expect them to be able to play with Cleveland for all 48 minutes. An interesting side note is that Jonas Valanciunas was just upgraded to a game time decision…
Prediction: Toronto Raptors (+6, -110)
