For the Toronto Raptors, tonight was just another night of playing catch-up and falling short. Poor shooting and lackluster defense in the early frames led to a disappointing 100-102 loss at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kyle Lowry had a team-high 22 points and 10 assists, while DeMar DeRozan struggled from the field, scoring just 13 points on 5-16 shooting from the field. On the opponent’s side, sophomore guard Dion Waiters led the way with 24 points and 7 assists in the absence of Kyrie Irving , while Canadian big man Tristan Thompson contributed 15 points and 13 rebounds en route to his 31st double-double of the season. The Raptors trailed for most of the game, and once again failed to seal the victory in the closing moments. Tonight’s loss means they surrender the third seed in the Eastern Conference to the Chicago Bulls. This is painful to write, so let’s just get into the grades.
Offense: C
The Raptors started the game cold and out of rhythm. The team shot a mere 29.2% after the first quarter, and 36.4% by halftime. It was not fun to watch, and the Cavaliers led by as much as 21 in a dominating start. After the break, Toronto made its usual push to close the gap and reduced the lead to seven following quality production from its backcourt duo of Lowry and Greivis Vasquez. The final frame saw the Raptors claim a one point lead with 6:45 remaining in the game, but the team’s comeback was hindered by terrible shooting the rest of the way (1-9) . Poor free throw shooting also hurt Toronto, as they connected on just 61.5% of attempts from the line.
Defense: C-
The Cavaliers maintained a lead for almost the entire game, and it was mainly due to their offensive burst. The Raptors allowed 44 points in the paint and 12 points off the fastbreak. Waiters and veteran Luol Deng proved to be too much to Toronto’s guards. While the Raptors’ perimeter defense was on point (Cleveland shot 30.8% beyond the arc), interior presence must be a point of emphasis going forward.
Rebounding: C-
The Raptors lost the rebounding battle 49-38. In the absence of Patrick Patterson, this team has really struggled to secure the boards on both ends of the floor. Amir Johnson had a team high nine rebounds, with six coming on the offensive end. Jonas Valanciunas had a disappointing showing tonight, recording just three rebounds in 18 minutes of action.
Game Ball: Dion Waiters
Cleveland was the better team in all aspects, and Waiters deserves recognition for his stellar performance. Despite season averages of 15.1 PPG and 2.9 RPG, he demonstrated the ability to produce when given the minutes. Give the sophomore credit- he came up big for his team when they needed it.
