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Cavs Vs. Raptors Game 6: 4 Things We Learned

By Jackson Flickinger

May 27, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates the win with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Channing Frye (9) at the end of game six of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Cleveland Cavaliers won 113-87. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
May 27, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates the win with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Channing Frye (9) at the end of game six of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Cleveland Cavaliers won 113-87. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are heading back to the NBA Finals after closing out the Toronto Raptors in the East Finals.

The Cavs punched their ticket to the NBA Finals for the second straight year with a 113-87 win in Toronto. The Raptors made the series closer than many expected it to be. At the end of the day LeBron and company proved to be too much for Toronto to handle.

Here’s what we learned from game 6.

1. The Cavs finally hit 3’s like they’re capable of.

Cleveland finally broke out of their 3 point shooting slump after being ice cold for much of the series. The Cavs were 17 of 31 (55%) from deep in game 6.

Many were critical of the Cavs for settling for 3’s instead of attacking the paint in games 3 and 4, but that really isn’t fair. The Cavs were getting open looks those games they just weren’t falling. In game 6 they got the same open looks, but unlike the previous games they were actually making those open shots.

Cleveland showed this series that they are capable of winning without relying solely on 3’s. That being said, they will need to knock down their open shots at a more consistent rate to beat either Golden State or Oklahoma City in the Finals.

2. LeBron James is tied for the most consecutive appearances to the Finals.

LeBron is going to the Finals for the 6th consecutive season. This is arguably his greatest accomplishment, and that is saying something considering all of the amazing things that he’s done in his career.

What makes this so remarkable is the fact that he did this with two different franchises and he was the focal point of each of those teams that made it to the Finals.

Many will say that this isn’t impressive because he did this in a weaker Eastern Conference, but that shouldn’t be held against him. Winning 18 consecutive conference series is impressive no matter who your opponent is. To get to this point he had to go through many good teams including a championship Boston Celtics team twice.

There are some accomplishments in sports that aren’t fully accomplished during the moment, and this may be one of them. There’s a reason this hasn’t been accomplished in 50 years. After LeBron retires, this accomplishment most likely won’t be matched for another 50 years.

3. Kevin Love can take his game on the road.

Love didn’t lead the team in points like he did in game 5, but this game was much more impressive. He finished with 20 points, 12 boards, and 4 assists. He also had a solid game defensively.

Love showed that he has the ability to step up on the road in closeout games. Unlike game 5, the Cavs didn’t force feed him the ball to get him engaged in the game. Love took it upon himself to play aggressive on both ends of the floor and he made the most of the opportunities he was given.

We’ve seen how important Love is to the Cavs. When he is playing aggressive, it is nearly impossible to defend this team. But, he needs to stay aggressive even if he isn’t getting the amount of touches that he would like.

Game 6 proved that he has the ability to do this. Let’s hope that he can carry this aggressiveness with him into the Finals.

4. The Cavs are going to the Finals again and, this time, they have a chance to win it all.

While Cleveland has gone to the Finals twice before, you never really felt they had a chance to win those series. In 2007 the San Antonio Spurs were in the middle of their dynasty and the Cavs didn’t have the skill to match them. While the Cavs made an impressive run by forcing the series to go 6 games during last year’s Finals, they weren’t given the chance to show what they were truly capable of due to injuries.

This year the Cavs are healthy and clicking on all cylinders. The Big Three have finally figured out how to play on the same team. LeBron is still the most dominant player in the league. Love and Kyrie have found and embraced their roles on the team. The Cavaliers have a strong bench that allows them to comfortably play 9 guys. They also have the versatility to throw many different lineups and styles at opponents.

After a disappointing finish to last season, all Cavs fans could hope for was a chance to play in the Finals with a healthy team. Now they have a chance to do so. And, this time, they have a good chance to break the 50 plus year draught.

The Cavaliers will face the winner of the Warriors and Thunder series. The Thunder are currently up 3-2 and will try to close the series out at home on Saturday night. No matter who wins the series, game 1 of the Finals will be Thursday night on June 2nd.

Enjoy this moment Cavs fans. We deserve it.