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12/22/2024 11:03:03 pm

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NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers Versus Toronto Raptors Game 2 Preview

james and irving

(Photo : gettyimages.com) James and Irving are expected to lead the Cavs in Game 2 of their postseason tie with the Raptors.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to keep their perfect postseason record unblemished when they face the visiting Toronto Raptors for the Game Two of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals series at the Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday.

The Wine and Gold are currently leading the series 1-0 and remain unbeaten in nine games played since the playoffs began. The Cavs routed the Raptors by 31 points in the series opener on Tuesday with an 115-84 victory.

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The defending conference champions are rolling through the East with ease, and the four-time MVP LeBron James and the 2012 Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving are the big reason why.

"[Tuesday] they wanted us to be in the paint," James, who went 11 for 13 from the field n the last game, said. "We tried to take advantage of that. I keep telling you we're not a jump-shooting team. We're a balanced team. We're able to do whatever the game dictates, and we're able to adjust to that."

James scored 24 points in just over 28 minutes of playing time in Game One while Irving finished the night with game-high 27 points.

Cleveland outrebounded Toronto and dominated the shaded area in their first encounter of the series. The Cavaliers will try to replicate their performance in Game Two to secure a comfortable 2-0 lead before the series moves to the Air Canada Centre for the Games Three and Four.

On the other hand, the Raptors will be looking to bounce back and even the series in Game Two - something they have done successfully in the past three seasons. Over that span, Toronto (.526, 71-64) have the best road record in the Eastern Conference for both regular-season and playoffs combined.

During games following a loss, the Raptors are 6-0 in this year's postseason. They have not lost back-to-back games since March 23-25 (at Boston/Houston) and three times during the 2016 calendar year. 

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