There’s no two ways about it.
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have laid the smack down on the Toronto Raptors over the first two games of this series. From the slam off the backboard with the left hand in the opening minutes, to the fake sip of beer, and then the spinning of the ball before nonchalantly draining a fadeaway three.
As Dwane Casey reminded us, they play with flair. This is the team that had a Steph Curry dummy at the entrance to a Halloween party so people could walk over it. They had tombstone cookies of him and his teammates. They even mocked the 3-1 lead the Warriors had.
And if you’re thinking, hey, no one gets beat down by the Cavaliers like the Raptors, then keep this in mind. In their previous series, they trailed the Indiana Pacers by as many as 26, benched Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, and still came back to win. Last year, they jumped on the 73-win Golden State Warriors 30-10 early in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on their way to a 120-90 victory. They jumped out to a 34-13 lead in the first quarter of Game 6 of that 73-win team again before cruising to victory there as well. Yes, even the SEVENTY-THREE win Warriors are not immune to a slaughtering or two at the Quicken Loans Arena. When this team is at full throttle, it’s not just the northside that suffers.
Good news: the Raptors aren’t at the Q anymore. They’re at the friendly confines of the Air Canada Centre, and so now’s a chance for Toronto to show who they are. With or without Kyle Lowry, they need to show more life. Speaking of, it’d be nice if that guy could show up too. They took a step in the right direction with the two lineup changes, and though the final score reflects a blowout, there were genuine signs in the opening half that this team can compete with the defending champions. The three-point line has proved to be a game-breaker, so clamping down there is crucial. There’s a toughness that Bismack Biyombo brought last year that isn’t quite there as well, so perhaps it’s time to roll the dice and have P.J. Tucker join the starting frontcourt of Norman Powell and Serge Ibaka.
Tonight isn’t just about the team finding their groove, though, it’s time for Raptors loyalists to be heard.
If you were a fan that attended Games 1, 2, or 5 against Milwaukee at least 10 minutes before the anthems, you were probably shocked when you took your seat. No one to the left of you. No one to the right of you. Maybe someone in front or behind you. The Air Canada Centre was half-full, at best. I know there were road closures and the weather hasn’t been great. I get that Game 1 doesn’t have the same appeal it once did with all the losses that have piled up. I get that Milwaukee isn’t necessarily the sexiest team in the league to get up for. Was that really enough to stop this world-renowned fan base?
If it was a case of wanting to flex a little bit after last year’s accomplishment, sure, I feel you. The first round should have been a mere formality against an inexperienced Bucks squad. Go on and feel you’re too bad and boujee for the Bucks. This franchise hasn’t really given their fans too many opportunities to do that.
But tonight? Tonight is what you’ve been waiting for ever since the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals ended.
If you’re attending the game tonight, forget about what happened in Games 1 and 2. You wanted Cleveland again? You wanted to see where your team stacks up a year later? Well, you got it. The Raptors are a very good home team, but they can be great when their sixth man is at their best. Game 1 against Milwaukee didn’t leave much for Raptors fans to cheer, but they weren’t really into it either. There were stretches where the Raptors made mini-runs but the crowd didn’t really sense the moment. Game 2 was nervy till the finish, and fans seemed more relieved than anything when it was over. They showed up towards the end of the fourth quarter, I’ll give them that.
In Game 5, with Serge Ibaka providing the early energy, and Stormin’ Norman following his lead, the crowd responded. That was the decibel level I remember fans being able to provide. That’s what the players will need now.
Remember this? This was respect.
Enjoy the fact that this is just the third time in the franchise’s history that they’re in the second round. Enjoy that the Cavaliers will have learned from how difficult it was to win in Toronto and respect you enough to bring their ‘A’ game right from the tip instead of coasting all the way to gift the Raptors a couple of fake wins. If your team wins tonight, it’ll be because they have improved, because they do deserve to be here, and because you’ve pushed them right from “O Canada” to the final buzzer.
