The Cavaliers are way more dangerous when Evan Mobley is clicking on offense.
They beat Oklahoma City. And Detroit, too, meaning both top seeds left Toronto disappointed.
And the Cleveland Cavaliers? The Cavs dropped not just one game, but two in Canada this season.
Which means the Toronto Raptors proved they’re fully capable of holding firm on their home court against top competition and even better against the Cavs, their first-round playoff opponent.
Now comes the tricky part — proving themselves all over again.
Given that these are the playoffs and the Raptors find themselves trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven, the margin for error is slim. Home court must be protected at all costs, or this series might be over in a matter of days.
The Raptors are encouraged by how they battled throughout Game 1 after a lopsided loss in the opener, keeping the game suspenseful until the last few minutes.
“Our team is so much better now than seven days ago,” said Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic. “We already got so much better. We’re going to continue getting better … we’re excited to come home, play in front of our fans, get the Jurassic Park going outside of the arena and fight back.”
Still, it’s all hands on deck for the Raptors, especially those belonging to Brandon Ingram.
Here’s what to watch for Game 3 in Toronto on Thursday (8 p.m. ET on Prime Video)
1. Evan Mobley’s mindset
Do the Cavs have a Big Three? That certainly was the case in Game 2 when James Harden and Donovan Mitchell were joined by a partner.
The trick now for Mobley, not only Thursday but throughout this series, is to prove that 25-point (on 11-for-13 shooting) performance wasn’t just a temporary elevation for him.
If so, this series could be a quick one. Mobley has the skills to impact both ends of the floor, although he mainly does so defensively. If his shots fall as they did in Game 2, then he’s doubly dangerous and the Cavs become very tough to defend.
Look to see if Harden and Mitchell feed Mobley the ball early and often.
That’ll be the indicator of whether they have belief in him. Harden’s willingness to pass is to be expected by now; making his teammates better was his priority since arriving at midseason. But if Mitchell also defers to Mobley at times, then that’s respect.
Mobley must earn that attention, though. If he starts hot and is aggressive offensively and physically at both ends, the Raptors will be stretched defensively.
Brandon Ingram’s rebound
Nobody in these playoffs is having a tougher time reaching the level of his All-Star regular season than Ingram, whose scoring and efficiency are both down.
It represents such an about-face for Toronto’s leading scorer, who played career-best basketball from last fall until now; he’s averaging almost 10 fewer points.
This can change suddenly, of course. Ingram is too good a scorer, especially from pull-up mid-range, to stay down for very long. And he’ll get encouragement from the friendly crowd. He averaged 23 points and six rebounds at home this year
The key for Ingram is to get good looks, and most of his Game 2 attempts weren’t forced; he had daylight. He just couldn’t connect on those. If it happens again, then Ingram could find himself battling twin forces — the Cavs’ defense and his confidence.
“I’m confident I won’t miss all my shots and find a rhythm,” Ingram said. “But I’m also confident in our team. I don’t want to make this all about what I’m doing.”
3. Toronto’s deep shooting
The Raptors are next to last in 3-pointers made in the playoffs, just ahead of the Rockets, and that method of shooting has long been problematic. Toronto averaged 11 3s made per game all season; the only team to finish with 10 or fewer was Sacramento.
Can the Raptors win a playoff series with such a de-emphasis on the shot, especially in today’s NBA, and particularly since they might miss Immanuel Quickley for a third straight game with injury?
The biggest use for the 3-pointer is when a team is trying to rally late in the game. The Raptors must resort to other methods in that situation. Quickley is their best deep threat from a volume and efficiency standpoint, which is why his absence has been costly so far.
Scottie Barnes, much like Ingram, doesn’t park himself behind the arc. Along with RJ Barrett, the Raptors’ three most capable scorers do much of their damage inside of 23 feet.
This mindset and strategy might need to change somehow if Quickley doesn’t play and the Raptors are forced to adjust for their playoff lives.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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