The Cleveland Cavaliers go to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday with the luxurious of with the ability to experiment with strikes they hope will result in an extended playoff run.
“It is slightly bit my DNA,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson mentioned after his workforce’s 128-107 residence win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. “I like altering defenses. I like giving completely different appears. I feel with this workforce, they had been type of a primary protection workforce final 12 months, and I simply really feel like you have to observe (adjustments) in stay play.
“I like the Ty Lue (line), ‘You’re employed on a playoff adjustment a day. You are all the time engaged on one thing since you by no means know when you are going to want it.’ However I actually imagine you have to do it in stay play, not simply in observe.”
The Cavaliers, who lead the Japanese Convention by 5 1/2 video games, have gained their first three conferences with the Raptors this season.
Toronto ended a four-game shedding streak on Tuesday when it accomplished a three-game highway journey with a 106-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 33 factors and 10 rebounds.
Communication on the court docket is one factor requiring the Cavaliers’ consideration as they search for their fourth straight win on Wednesday.
“It is as a result of we’re doing so many alternative issues,” mentioned Donovan Mitchell, who logged 23 factors and eight assists in opposition to Minnesota. “I feel the largest factor to problem now, and I challenged everyone similar to, ‘We have now to speak.’
“That is what we’re utilizing the common season for. Clearly, we’re enjoying to win, however we’re enjoying to determine issues out and develop. When you have not finished one thing, we do not observe as a lot, so we have now to determine methods to attempt it.”
The Cavaliers hope the latest addition of De’Andre Hunter will enhance their protection.
“We’re eighth now (in defensive rating),” Atkinson mentioned. “I feel the gamers discuss prime 5. I do know that was their message. These guys need suggestions. ‘The place are we? What’s our grade?’ And we’re eighth.
“We’re good, however we’re not nice. De’Andre was a part of that thought course of. Are you able to assist us? Can his dimension, physicality, positional dimension, switchability — all of the little cliches which are true — can he assist push us to the following stage?”
Hunter had 12 factors in 23 minutes throughout his first recreation with Cleveland on Monday.
The Raptors adopted up Tuesday on one in every of their trade-deadline strikes from final week, signing Brandon Ingram to a three-year, $120 million contract extension.
Ingram arrived from the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 6 for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk and two draft picks.
Ingram stays out as a consequence of a left ankle sprain that has saved him sidelined since early December. RJ Barrett (return to competitors situation) and Jakob Poeltl (hip) additionally didn’t play at Philadelphia.
Toronto led 26-18 after one quarter, which made a distinction.
“Our workforce within the first quarter was excellent defensively,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic mentioned. “I feel that set a tone for us due to nice defensive effort, we had been in a position to get stops and get rebounds that allowed us to run and discover our rhythm early within the recreation.”
Barnes had one in every of his higher video games.
“I believed Scottie throughout the entire recreation was actually, actually aggressive, enjoying with loads of pressure going downhill, with the ability to end on the rim and on the identical time attending to the free-throw line fairly a bit and playmaking,” Rajakovic mentioned.
–Discipline Degree Media
