Tag: Cleveland Cavaliers

RAPTORS NOTES
• The Toronto Raptors play the first game of a back-to-back set Sunday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Raptors visit the Rockets in Houston on Monday. Toronto swept the season-series (3-0) with Cleveland in 2019-20. Kyle Lowry averaged 22.3 points and 8.0 assists in
three games against the Cavaliers last year. The Raptors are 9-14 on the road this season and tied with Detroit, Golden State, LA Clippers, Minnesota, New York and Utah for the most road games played in the
NBA (23). Sunday is the first of three meetings with Cleveland during the 2020-21 campaign.
• All five Toronto starters scored in double figures Friday vs. Utah. Norman Powell (17), OG Anunoby (15), Pascal Siakam (27), Kyle Lowry (14) and Fred VanVleet (17) combined for 90 points and shot .500 (28-for-56) from the field, including .469 (15-32) from three-point range, against the Jazz. Friday night was the first time the Raptors had all five in the lineup since Feb. 24 at Miami.
• Norman Powell is tied for seventh in the NBA in scoring in March, averaging 28.4 points (min. 5 GP). Powell is shooting .552 (69-125) from the floor and .493 (33-67) from beyond the arc this month. He has scored 30+ points four times, including a career-high 43 points (14-18 FG, 8-12 3PT, 7-9 FT) Mar. 17 at
Detroit. Powell became the 13th player in franchise history to score 40+ points against the Pistons.
• Chris Boucher is averaging career highs of 14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.98 blocks and 24.1 minutes, and is the only Raptor to appear in all 41 games this season. Boucher ranks fifth in the NBA in blocks per game
and sixth among reserves in scoring. Boucher is the only player in the NBA with 60+ three-point field goals and 60+ blocks (68 3PT, 81 BLK).
• Since returning from a sprained left thumb, Kyle Lowry is averaging 17.4 points and 10.4 assists, and has three double-doubles, in the last nine games (Feb. 24 – Mar. 19). Lowry has scored 20+ points four times during this stretch and tied a franchise-record with a career-high 19 assists Mar. 4 at Boston.
• Following Monday’s game at Houston, the Raptors will play 14 of their next 19 games (Mar. 24 – Apr. 27)
at home in Tampa. Toronto is 8-10 at Amalie Arena this season. The Raptors visit Cleveland again Apr. 10 before the Cavaliers make the trip to Tampa on Apr. 26.
• The Raptors have lost seven straight games (Mar. 3-19) for the first time since dropping eight in a row Jan. 10-22, 2012. Toronto is seven games below .500 (17-24) for the first time this season, but still have a +10 scoring differential (4610-to-4600). The Raptors are one of seven teams in the Eastern Conference with a plus scoring differential. Opponents are averaging 120.7 points and shooting .493 (287-582) from the field, including .387 (105-271) from three-point range, over the last seven games. Toronto also has a -96 (258-to
-354) rebounding differential during this streak.