Feb 10, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates within the third quarter in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Obligatory Credit score: David Richard-Imagn Pictures The Cleveland Cavaliers go to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday with the luxurious of with the ability to experiment with strikes they hope will result in a protracted playoff run.
“It is a bit of bit my DNA,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson stated after his workforce’s 128-107 house win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. “I like altering defenses. I like giving completely different appears. I feel with this workforce, they have been type of a primary protection workforce final 12 months, and I simply really feel like you have to follow (adjustments) in reside play.
“I really like the Ty Lue (line), ‘You’re employed on a playoff adjustment a day. You are all the time engaged on one thing since you by no means know when you are going to want it.’ However I actually consider you have to do it in reside play, not simply in follow.”
The Cavaliers, who lead the Japanese Convention by 5 1/2 video games, have received their first three conferences with the Raptors this season.
Toronto ended a four-game shedding streak on Tuesday when it accomplished a three-game street journey with a 106-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 33 factors and 10 rebounds.
Communication on the courtroom is one factor requiring the Cavaliers’ consideration as they search for their fourth straight win on Wednesday.
“It is as a result of we’re doing so many alternative issues,” stated Donovan Mitchell, who logged 23 factors and eight assists in opposition to Minnesota. “I feel the largest factor to problem now, and I challenged everyone similar to, ‘We’ve to speak.’
“That is what we’re utilizing the common season for. Clearly, we’re enjoying to win, however we’re enjoying to determine issues out and develop. When you have not achieved one thing, we do not follow as a lot, so we now have to determine methods to strive it.”
The Cavaliers hope the current addition of De’Andre Hunter will enhance their protection.
“We’re eighth now (in defensive rating),” Atkinson stated. “I feel the gamers discuss prime 5. I do know that was their message. These guys need suggestions. ‘The place are we? What’s our grade?’ And we’re eighth.
“We’re good, however we’re not nice. De’Andre was a part of that thought course of. Are you able to assist us? Can his dimension, physicality, positional dimension, switchability — all of the little cliches which might be true — can he assist push us to the following stage?”
Hunter had 12 factors in 23 minutes throughout his first recreation with Cleveland on Monday.
The Raptors adopted up Tuesday on certainly one of their trade-deadline strikes from final week, signing Brandon Ingram to a three-year, $120 million contract extension.
Ingram arrived from the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 6 for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk and two draft picks.
Ingram stays out because of a left ankle sprain that has saved him sidelined since early December. RJ Barrett (return to competitors situation) and Jakob Poeltl (hip) additionally didn’t play at Philadelphia.
Toronto led 26-18 after one quarter, which made a distinction.
“Our workforce within the first quarter was excellent defensively,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic stated. “I feel that set a tone for us due to nice defensive effort, we have been in a position to get stops and get rebounds that allowed us to run and discover our rhythm early within the recreation.”
Barnes had certainly one of his higher video games.
“I assumed Scottie throughout the entire recreation was actually, actually aggressive, enjoying with a whole lot of drive going downhill, with the ability to end on the rim and on the similar time attending to the free-throw line fairly a bit and playmaking,” Rajakovic stated.
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