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Cavs rack up 38 assists as Raptors fall, lose Bosh to injury 101 - 113
April 6, 2010
Hedo Turkoglu walked out of the tunnel at halftime of Toronto's game in Cleveland and received an earful from a Cavaliers fan. Turkoglu stopped dead in his tracks, smiled and turned around to walk over to where the fan was sitting. He then reminded the fan that just last season he was a member of the Orlando Magic, who beat the Cavs on their way to the Finals. The fan replied by politely assuring Turkoglu there would be no repeat; that Turkoglu would not be beating the Cavs in the playoffs this season. After watching the Cavs dismantle the Raptors by a 113-101 count Tuesday, you believe him. And perhaps the best thing about this game for Cavs fans is their team had no reason to win, yet it won anyway. The Cavs (61-17) had already clinched the NBA's best regular-season record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. So what did they do? They shared the basketball more than they have at any other time this season. They moved to open spots and knocked down shots. They displayed balance, depth and passion.
In the end, the Cavs finished with a season-high 38 assists and a sizzling 56 percent (47-for-84) shooting. "It was awesome," said Cavs star LeBron James. "To have 38 assists on 47 field goals is what we're all about. You can't have those numbers every night, but to pass like we did tonight with everyone giving each other the opportunity to score, sharing the basketball and knocking down shots was great to see." Making matters worse for the Raptors (38-39) was the early loss of leader Chris Bosh, who was the victim of an inadvertent elbow to the face from Cavs forward Antawn Jamison. Bosh's nose immediately began to bleed profusely, and he was then taken to the nearby Cleveland Clinic for a CT scan. Bosh returned to Quicken Loans Arena in the second half, but watched the game from the Raptors' locker room. He did not return to Toronto on the team flight, and is expected to remain in Cleveland for further testing. The incident happened about three minutes into the first quarter, when Bosh and Jamison jostled for position. Early reports indicated Bosh suffered a broken nose and a facial fracture. "You hate to see that happen to anybody, especially with a team that's trying to make a run at the playoffs," James said. "Hopefully, he comes back well." With five games left in their season, the Raptors remained in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference, as Chicago lost to Milwaukee on Tuesday night. The Raptors are a game ahead and own the tie-breaker. But anything can happen if Bosh is out.
"As silly as they may sound, with Chris going down, it creates an opportunity for somebody to step up," said Raptors guard Jarrett Jack. "You might have been wanting that playing time all season. Now you have an opportunity to do something with it and come through for our team." Meanwhile, it was former Raptors guard Anthony Parker who did most of the damage for the Cavs. Parker finished with 18 points, as well as with season-highs in rebounds (eight) and assists (six). "It's about time," Parker joked. "I had a couple of good looks and they went down." Jamison led the Cavs with 20 points, and James finished with 19 points and a game-high 13 assists. Mo Williams (14 points, 12 assists) and Jawad Williams (13 points) also played well, and Anderson Varejao returned from a hamstring injury to compile 10 points off the bench. Jack scored 23 to lead the Raptors.
As for finishing the regular season with little to play for, the Cavs admitted they will probably start taking it easy in the coming week. At the same time, they have no desire to form any bad habits or just give games away. "We just have to keep trying to get better and building on that edge we have," said Cavs coach Mike Brown. "No matter who plays, hopefully we will use these games as high-level practice games." Added James: "Win, lose or draw, we want to continue to improve. We don't want to take a step back, even if [the starters] sit out. These are meaningful games for us to stay in our rhythm."