The Eastern Conference Finals between the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers has been anything but predictable.
After losing by a combined 50 points in Games 1 and 2 on the road in Cleveland, the Raptors have stormed back to tie the series at 2-2, and for the first time are considered by some to have a legitimate shot at beating the Cavaliers — especially with the recent offensive struggles plaguing Cavs stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Catch Wednesday’s Game 5 between the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers live on Sportsnet and SN Now. Coverage kicks off at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT || TV Schedule
Love, considered to be one of the more versatile power forwards in the NBA, has been especially brutal in Toronto, making only five of his 23 shot attempts in the past two games for a total of 13 points and 11 rebounds.
John Schuhmann, advanced stats writer for NBA.com, joined The Jeff Blair Show Wednesday to talk about the surprising series and said that he expects an improved Kevin Love to show up for Game 5 in Cleveland.
“Kevin Love is such a big factor in this series because he’s so talented and will get some good shots playing off LeBron,” said Schuhmann. “But if he’s not making them or has lost some confidence or anything, it could come down to him and his ability to make some shots and make some plays.”
For the Raptors, Schuhmann said that the better offensive execution and more organized defensive rotations seen in the past two games will need to carry over for the team to have a chance at winning for the first time in Cleveland this season.
“I think it should be definitely closer than it was in the first two games,” he said. “I think the Raptors found something that works for them, that they can avoid the kind of blowouts they had in Games 1 and 2.”
Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals is set for 8:30 p.m. ET Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
Listen to the full interview here.