If the Toronto Raptors have any hope of making it to the NBA Finals this year, they better pray that they don’t have to face off against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.
Toronto exploded for a franchise record-tying 79 points in the first half of their game on Wednesday night in Cleveland, but blew a 15-point lead at the break and lost 132-129 to the Cavs.
James, even at 33, is still the most dominating player in the NBA and he showed it against Toronto by scoring 35 points and adding 17 assists and seven rebounds.
Despite the loss, Toronto (53-19) is well on its way to recording the franchise’s first-ever 60-win season, while the Cavaliers (42-29) will be lucky to see 50 in the win column when the regular season comes to a close unless they go on a torrid tear down the stretch.
The Raptors as a whole are a much more talented and much deeper squad than Cleveland, but King James is the great equalizer, and then some.
I am more than ready to anoint the Raptors as the beasts of the East, but not until they take that next step come playoff time.
Toronto can only earn that distinction if they go to the NBA Finals.
They won’t get there by allowing 132 points a night, or if they meet LeBron in a do-or-die game.
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