It’s only the second round of the NBA playoffs, but it will feel like a virtual NBA finals for the Toronto Raptors.
The Raps will square off against their old nemesis, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers , with the winner advancing to the Eastern Conference championship.
Game one is Tuesday night at Air Canada Centre.
The Raptors booked their ticket to round two after ousting the Washington Wizards in six games, while the Cavs needed a full seven to dispatch the Indiana Pacers.
Toronto owned the second-best record in the regular season, but if history has shown us anything, beating the Cavaliers won’t be easy.
LeBron loves playing against Toronto, and the statistics back it up.
King James is 8-2 all-time versus the Raptors in the post season. He has averaged 30 points in those 10 games, 8.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists, while shooting 60 per cent from the field and almost 42 per cent from three point land.
It was this time last year, at the 2017 Eastern Conference semifinals, when James and the Cavaliers swept the Raptors. Two years ago, Toronto bowed out in the Conference Final in six games versus Cleveland.
The Cavs also won the season series against Toronto, taking two of their three meetings this year, and LeBron led the way — averaging 29.3 points per game.
The only way Toronto can exorcise their demons is if their stars play like stars. DeMar DeRozan has to dominate instead of disappear. Kyle Lowry has to score and create. Jonas Valanciunas and Serge Ibaka have to play with precision and passion. And Toronto’s role players — like Delon Wright, CJ Miles, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell — have to deliver when called upon.
The Raptors don’t have to play a perfect series, but they should hope that LeBron doesn’t, either.
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