The wait is finally over. Playoff basketball is here, and it begins with a first-round matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors.
This season has been defined by injury for the Cavs. It started with Darius Garland and Max Strus missing the beginning of the season. Injury concerns for Garland partially led to them trading him for veteran guard James Harden. And injuries have made it difficult for us to get an idea of what this team looks like when they’re fully healthy.
Fortunately
for the Cavs, they’re heading into the postseason as healthy as they’ve been all year. For the first time all season, they will have their entire rotation available to them. It only took until game 83 for that to happen.
The Raptors had the Cavs’ number during the regular season. They beat them all three matchups by simply outhustling them in transition and hitting tough mid-range jumpers. All three games came before December, when the Cavs were a much different team than they are now. Saturday afternoon will give us a much better idea of how these teams match up.
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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors
Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH
When: Sat., April 18 at 1 PM
TV: Prime Video
Point spread: Cavs -8
Cavs injury report: Thomas Bryant – OUT (calf)
Raptors injury report: Immanuel Quickley – QUESTIONABLE (hamstring)
Cavs expected starting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Raptors expected starting lineup: Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl
Previous matchup: The Raptors swept the three-game seaosn series.
Here’s a look at both teams’ regular-season impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.
