Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors Game 3 Preview: TV Schedule, Game Time

By Jude Abastar, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, May 21, 2016

The Cleveland Cavaliers play the Toronto Raptors in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Finals series, this time in Toronto's home turf, where most NBA pundits believe is the most hostile environment in all of basketball. The Raptors are in a 0-2 disadvantage and will be in serious trouble if they lose this one, too.

The fact that the Cavs are no longer just a LeBron James team is something Dwayne Casey and his boys should be afraid of. If all of their games in the postseason are any indication, Cleveland is poised stomp over Toronto and will sweep this series, too. So the question is will Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan finally find their stroke and give their team the Cavs' first defeat in the playoffs?

Home Court Advantage

The biggest difference between Game 3 and the previous two games is the fact that it will be played in one of the best home courts in the NBA. According to Justin Rowan reporting for Cavsnada, pride is on the line for the Raptors, which means the Cavs will need the very same intensity and hunger to make it 3-0 and put Toronto on the brink of elimination. But that should be easier said than done for James and company because nothing is more desperate than a team that's facing a 0-2 hole.

It should have been a very different first two games for this series if center Jonas Valanciunas played. Unfortunately for the Raptors, they no longer can dwell on that misfortune and instead will have to play on and hope that their dynamic backcourt will rescue them from an impending sweep.

Per a report from the International Business Times, the Raptors obviously looked like a team that had to endure two game sevens in the postseason, having showed little to no life at all in their two blowout losses to the Cavs. But credit should also be given to the other players in Cleveland other than James, particularly point guard Kyrie Irving, who so far has outplayed his counterpart in Lowry in nearly all aspects of the game and in both ends of the floor.

Game Info