Raptors can widen eyes in Game 4

Nobody believes the Toronto Raptors are going to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Absolutely nobody. Even the Raptors don’t believe that is going to happen.

Why? Because LeBron James remains the best player in the world of basketball (Steph Curry is the better shooter by a considerable margin, but all-around, no contest). James has been to the NBA Finals in each of the past five seasons – four times with the Miami Heat before reaching it with Cleveland last season – and has designs on going for No. 6. In addition, the duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love is equal to or greater than DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

This should be a cakewalk. Yet, after getting handled easily in the first two games of the series at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, the Raptors showed real grit. Going back to the Air Canada Centre for Game 3, the Raptors came out swinging and landed a decisive victory.

Still, nobody is switching their pick from Cleveland to Toronto. Most of the switching is going from calling it a four-game sweep to a five-game speedbump. In all honesty, that is exactly what it likely will be, and what it should be despite Toronto winning only one less game than Cleveland in the regular season.

With all that stated, the Raptors could change some stances with a win in Game 4 at home on Monday evening. Toronto has an opportunity to even the series, sending the reeling Cavaliers back to Cleveland where fans always know to expect the worst (the city has not won a major sports championship since 1964).

If the Raptors could somehow hold serve at home and get the series back to the United States even, we would have a legitimate series. At that juncture, one bad call or one great break could change the entire series and permanently put Toronto in the driver’s seat. While the Cavaliers would still be heavy favorites to win the matchup, it would become legitimately interesting for the first time.

As for Cleveland, this has to be the only loss it sustains all series. The Cavaliers are an older team with an injury history to Love and Irving. This can’t go six or seven games. If Cleveland looks to the other side of the bracket, it will see the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors going into what appears to be a very long, tough brawl.

For both teams, Game 4 is huge in its own way. Toronto needs the game to simply stay alive in the competitive aspect of the series. Cleveland needs it to put away the Raptors quickly and get the requisite rest it will need in the Finals.