After bouncing back from their first loss of the season, the NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers are set to host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night, aiming to end the Raptors’ rare winning streak.
The Raptors ended a seven-game losing streak with a 130-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday, followed by a 110-105 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. This marked the first time this season that Toronto secured consecutive wins.
RJ Barrett led the way with a game-high 31 points and seven rebounds against Minnesota, while Jakob Poeltl added 15 points and 12 boards. Scottie Barnes was instrumental in the victory, scoring nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Before their seven-game skid, Toronto endured a four-game losing streak earlier in the season. Despite their 4-12 record, guard/forward Garrett Temple, one of the team’s few veterans, believes the Raptors are better than their record suggests.
Cleveland, on the other hand, has had plenty of positives to celebrate. Their season-opening victory over Toronto on October 23 sparked a historic start, as the Cavaliers went 15-0 before a 120-117 loss to the defending champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
Only three other teams in NBA history—the 1948-49 Washington Capitols, the 1993-94 Houston Rockets, and the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors—have started a season with 15 consecutive wins. The Warriors set a league record by winning their first 24 games.
Cleveland quickly rebounded from the loss to Boston, with a dominant 128-100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. The victory was impressive, considering the Cavaliers were missing starting guard Darius Garland due to a groin injury, and star Donovan Mitchell scored only 10 points.
Ty Jerome stepped up for the Cavaliers, recording a season-high 29 points while filling in for Garland. Georges Niang contributed 20 points off the bench.
Garland is not listed on the injury report ahead of the game against Toronto.
The Cavaliers were also without Caris LeVert (knee), Isaac Okoro (ankle), and Dean Wade (ankle) on Wednesday, prompting coach Kenny Atkinson to start rookie Jaylon Tyson. Tyson delivered with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in 37 minutes of action, having never played more than eight minutes in an NBA game before.
Cleveland will look to maintain their strong form and continue their successful season with a win over the Raptors on Sunday.
