Now that the Raptors are on the board, let’s hear how a Cavaliers fan views the series.
Once again, we connect with FanSided’s Cleveland expert, Jared Mueller, Editor of https://kingjamesgospel.com/ for his answers (in bold) to my questions (in italics).
Raptors coach Dwane Casey went on a rant about the refereeing following the game. Did the refs lose control of Game 3, and is there bad blood being created between these teams as a result?
Cavs fans would say yes but on our side. DeRozan gets slightly bumped and seems to get a call. LeBron (when he is not flopping), Kyrie Irving, Richard Jefferson and others get knocked down or hit hard and no foul is called. I don’t think they have lost control but it feels like the Raptors chip on their shoulder is leading them to play pretty chippy. The Cavs had two rough series last year that led to injuries to Kevin Love and, in a smaller part, Kyrie Irving. It also led to J.R. Smith’s suspension. We don’t want to see that happen again.
More from Raptors Rapture
- Scottie Barnes talks Raptors expectations after bumpy 2022-23
- Raptors’ Dennis Schroder completes Cinderella story, wins FIBA World Cup with Germany
- 3 players Raptors could replace OG Anunoby with at trade deadline
- NBA insider praises Raptors’ hiring of “star” Darko Rajakovic
- Raptors fans will love Markquis Nowell’s insane confidence on Instagram
Both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving had poor shooting games. How often does that occur (i.e., when they are both “off”)?
It is rare. It is hard to tell how much the Raptors defensive gameplan played a role but it was a surprisingly poor game for the Cavs other two stars. Tristan Thompson also had a very poor game. That the Cavs had a couple of chances to get close is shocking given only LeBron, J.R. and Channing Frye had good games. Unlikely to happen again and especially shocking after they lit up the Playoffs for the first 10 games.
Bismack Biyombo owned the boards. I was surprised we didn’t see Timofey Mozgov – were you?
There was a point that Timo made sense but that was more due to physicality. The problem with Mozgov on Bismack is his quickness. While Timo is a big guy, he lumbers up and down the court and is slow to close out or box out. On pick and rolls, offensive rebounds and in transition, the Raptors would have eaten him up.
The Cavaliers’ defense seemed a bit sluggish. The Raptors scored a high number of easy buckets. Any idea what happened?
The Cavs lacked energy all night. Something seemed off. Whether it was the referees, arrogance/overconfidence or their poor play on the offensive end, the Cavs didn’t have it on defense. They struggled to adjust to what the Raptors were doing and put themselves in bad positions very often. We shall see what adjustments they make for Game 4.
Tyronn Lue has had an easy time but now must earn his keep. Can he make the adjustments needed, and what do you think they will be?
Lue has surprised me so far in the Playoffs. Things that can be directly connected to coaching (inbound plays, rotations, and adjustments at half and between games) have all been impressive. Last night his players were not giving him maximum effort so it was tough. On offense, I expect Lue to play out of the post instead of in isolation and pick and rolls. That will allow LeBron and Love to work for their shot or hit shooters/cutters. Defensively I expect them to trap DeMar, especially when Frye is in for Love, and force the ball out of his hands then change that up at halftime.