Cavs Vs. Raptors Game 2: 4 Things We Learned

The Cleveland Cavaliers roll once again in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Toronto Raptors.

The Cavaliers continued their historic run through the playoffs with an 108-89 win over the Toronto Raptors in game 2. The Cavs are yet to lose in the playoffs this year and are one win away from tying the longest playoff win streak in league history.

Cleveland didn’t have their absolute best stuff on Thursday night, but the Raptors still didn’t have a chance. Toronto hung around in the game early, but the Cavs blew the game open after a run to end the first half and steady play from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

Here’s what we learned.

1. The Cavs don’t need to rely on the three ball to win games.

Cleveland can beat teams in many different ways. Many have pointed out that the Cavs’ historic three point shooting from last series wasn’t sustainable. However, they don’t need to 3 ball to win games.

The Cavaliers shot a mediocre 7 for 21 from deep, but they still dominated the game. The three ball is an important part of Cleveland’s offensive attack. However, it’s not the only way they can beat teams and they’re proving that in this series.

Cleveland has a myriad of ways to dismantle opposing defenses. They aren’t a team that lives and dies with their three point shooting.

2. LeBron continues to dominate without a jump shot.

LeBron was on top of his game on Thursday night. He finished with 23/11/10 in only 33 minutes of action. This triple-double put him ahead of Magic Johnson for most triple-doubles in playoff history with 20 plus points. He also passed Shaquille O’Neal on the all-time playoff scoring list.

James appears to be more explosive right now then he has been at any time this year. He is finishing at the rim seemingly with ease. The only thing that could be concerning is the fact that he hasn’t made a field goal outside of the paint this series. Even his free-throw shooting was off in game 2 as he shot a miserable 9 for 17 from the line. Just imagine how good of a game he would’ve had if he would’ve made some more free throws.

While his jump shot hasn’t been as good as it has been in the past, it is unreasonable to think that it will continue like this. He has dominated this series without needing a jump shot. If he can find his shot, this series probably won’t make it to game 5.

3. Kyle Lowry is missing in action courtesy of Kyrie and the Cavs.

Lowry is a big key to the Raptors’ success. It’s hard to see them winning a game this series if he doesn’t return to form. By many reports his basketball struggles are mental. Lowry has been reaching out to many of his past teammates seeking advice. He even reached out to his former teammate Coach Lue, who obviously declined to meet with him.

Game two didn’t go much better then the previous game for Lowry. He finished with only 10 points on 4 of 14 shooting and 5 turnovers. Lowry even disappeared to the locker room to blow off steam in the second quarter while the Cavs were making run.

It’s easy to focus on how bad Lowry has played, but what can easily be lost in this is just how good Kyrie has played. Irving has been better than Lowry in every facet of the game.

Irving’s domination of Lowry has been a microcosm of the series as a whole. The Raptors desperately need their all-star to elevate his game and find himself if they want to compete in this series.

4. The Cavs don’t belong in the same league as the 56 win Raptors.

Cleveland has completely dominated Toronto this series. The Cavs are hitting on all cylinders in a way that we have only dreamed about. The Big 3 are playing as well together as they ever have. They are getting key contributions from the bench. Every player is buying into their roles and fulfilling them better than expected. A perfect example of that is Irving and Love’s tremendous defensive play this postseason. Those are words that many Cavs’ never thought they’d say.

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The Raptors are a good team. They have the fourth best record in the Association. It’s not like the Cavs are beating up on a .500 team that barely made the playoffs. Teams aren’t supposed to run through the conference finals with lopsided wins like this. You can say what you want about the East not being any good, but the Cavs’ dominance is something we’ve rarely seen at this stage in the playoffs. It’s safe to say this is the best this team has played in franchise history.

While the series isn’t over, it is worth noting that a LeBron led team has never lost a series after being up 2-0. Also the Raptors have never won a series after being down 0-2.

We’ll see if the Raptors put up more of a fight as they return back home for game 3 on Saturday.

What did you learn from the Cavs win last night?