| 2009/2010 NBA Regular Season | ||
|---|---|---|
 | VS |  |
| 31-25 | 45-14 | |
| February 26, 2010 | ||
| Air Canada Centre | ||
| 7:00 PM et | ||
| Radio - WTAM 1100 / FSOhio | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Jarrett Jack | PG | Mo Williams |
| DeMar DeRozan | SG | Anthony Parker |
| Hedo Turkoglu | SF | LeBron James |
| Andrea Bargnani | PF | Antawn Jamison |
| Rasho Nesterovic | C | Anderson Varejao |
How quickly things change in the NBA. The Cavaliers looked like a team that had no idea how to play the game for the better part of 3 1/2 games. They had lost 3 of 4, were down double-digits in Boston, where they had lost 10 straight games, and were looking at a tough back to back in Toronto. Then something happened. Shaquille O'Neal got hurt, forcing Mike Brown to go against his basketball roots - meaning small and fast. The result? The Cavaliers outscored the Celtics 87-57 the final 3 quarters, en route to a 20-point win.
Just like that, mojo back, attitude changed.
Tonight they head to Toronto, minus Shaq, and look to win their 3rd straight. Toronto will be without Chris Bosh, meaning the Cavaliers should have the advantage. Will they make the most of the advantage?
3-in the Key
1. Tonight's game features two of the top shooting teams in the league. The Cavs rank second in the NBA in both field goal percentage (.486) and three-point shooting (.399) while the Raptors rank fifth (.479) and fourth (.374) respectively. In two matchups against Toronto this season, LeBron James is averaging 25.5 points on .405 shooting, 10.0 rebounds and 11.5 assists in 40.2 minutes per game.
2. Cleveland is in the midst of playing six of nine games on the road and will play three of its next five games away from The Q. The team has won 11 of its last 15 road games and at 20-10 (.655), their road record is tied for the best in the NBA with Boston. LeBron James leads the league this season in scoring on the road at 31.0 ppg.
3. Last night the Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 108-88 after trailing by as many as 13 points in the game. The Celtics led the Cavaliers by 10 points after the first quarter on Thursday, and they held a one-point lead going to the fourth quarter, but Boston wound up losing by 20 points to Cleveland, 108-88. It was Boston's largest-ever margin of defeat in a game in which it led going to the fourth quarter. The previous most was 18 points, at Milwaukee in 1979 and at Charlotte in 1993.