Coming at you quickly here as I spent most of my day on a bus and am just catching up. Both the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers held media availability Sunday following Toronto’s awesome Game 3 victory the night prior, and here are your usual notes and quotes.
Valanciunas upgraded
It probably doesn’t mean a ton just yet, but the Raptors have upgraded injured center Jonas Valanciunas from out to doubtful for Game 4 on Monday. It seems like a serious long-shot he’d play, but the upgrade serves three purposes: It gives the Raptors the option to play him if he’s suddenly much better the day of the game, it signals Valanciunas could be ready a little later in the series if not Monday, and it forces the Cavaliers to at least think about how they may deal with him if and when he returns.
That last part is something they really haven’t done yet, according to Ty Lue.
He was on the court today and we will see where he's at tomorrow. — Casey on Valanciunas.
— Eric Smith (@Eric__Smith) May 22, 2016
OK, but Bismack
How can we talk about Valanciunas at a time when Bismack Biyombo quite literally owns the city? Biyombo’s Game 3 performance was the stuff of legend, and the great quotes have continued rolling in from and about B-Double, aka The Greatest Rebounder Who Ever Lived.
"On the floor, I don't have friends." – @bismackbiyombo0 pic.twitter.com/u9PHTpp5Ew
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 22, 2016
Scola told a few of us his kids love Biyombo. They call him: "Biz, get the heck out of here." (insert finger wag).
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) May 22, 2016
DeRozan: "I hated Biz. When he was in Charlotte I hated Biz… Now by far he's one of my favourite teammates of all-time"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 22, 2016
Biz, told DeRozan hated him: "I knew that. He actually told me that personally, that he really hated me until he got to know me as a person"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 22, 2016
DeRozan encouraged Biyombo to catch tennis balls to help him get more comfortable catching passes in the post.
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 22, 2016
DeMar and Scola said its hard to stay mad at Biyombo. Even when he offensive goaltended a shot Scola said he "badly needed to go in."
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) May 22, 2016
And Biyombo’s got anonymous Cavs all salty in the shadows.
Such a brave Cavalier. Way to hide your words behind a reporter. pic.twitter.com/GoF9yjpy1a
— Raptors Republic (@raptorsrepublic) May 22, 2016
The peanut gallery
Someone thought to ask peanut-in-capris-looking Richard Jefferson about the series. RJ’s a likable guy and an awesome quote, but FOH with this.
"We the south are going to be okay." – Richard Jefferson pic.twitter.com/9BAs5UhS31
— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) May 22, 2016
In seriousness, the Cavs are surely feeling comfortable still and can make a number of adjustments entering Game 4. Like, I don’t know, leaning on one of the best players of all time a little more if his support staff is MIA.
ty lue says he should have called more plays for lebron bc love and kyrie were struggling pic.twitter.com/IZCpNIsJk6
— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) May 22, 2016
And hey, can we just take one more second to dap up the Raptors for that incredible bounce-back performance?
DeRozan said people don't understand how "sick, upset, embarrassed" they were after first 2 losses, only way to "shut them up" was to win
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 22, 2016
Casey: "Our compete level was higher and I thought that was the difference in the game …. you can be friends in the summer time."
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) May 22, 2016
Some ref notes
Still no word if Casey and the cadre of Raptors’ players calling out the refs will receive a fine for their post-game comments, but James isn’t biting.
lebron did not want to talk about officiating again. said the refs do a great job, he can't lose focus pic.twitter.com/J8ijoPF3dP
— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) May 22, 2016
NBA office today talked to Dwane Casey re: his comments about the officiating after Game 3. Expectation is that fine is coming. Will see.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) May 22, 2016
There’s been no rescinding of Biyombo’s Flagrant 1 (yet) either, so he remains one flagrant from suspension.
Casey on officiating: "It's over with. I said what I had to say last night. I'm not trying to send a message."
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 22, 2016
This is the best:
How Lebron James was after Tristan Thompson's elbow. #TagALebronFanhttps://t.co/WXF5EEVHM8
— B.A. (@BdotAdot5) May 22, 2016
