Perhaps the biggest shock of the 2016 NBA Playoffs so far happened yesterday, as the Oklahoma City Thunder restricted the Golden State Warriors to just 14 points in the fourth quarter, coming from 13 down to steal Game 1 108-102. Today sees the start of the Eastern Conference Finals, which the well-rested Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to breeze though in no more than five games. Will LeBron James coast to his seventh NBA Finals appearance… or do the Toronto Raptors have another shock in store?
Toronto Raptors @ Cleveland Cavaliers
It feels like an age since we last saw the Cleveland Cavaliers in action. That’s because it basically has been. LeBron and company have swept their way through the first two rounds of playoff opposition, hardly raising a sweat in the process. They now reach their Eastern Conference Finals adversary, who got the better of them in the regular season, still without their main man in the middle. Jonas Valanciunas has been ruled out for Game 1 – his fifth consecutive game missed with an ankle injury – and will apparently be evaluated daily. With the big Lithuanian missing in action, more responsibility has fallen on the All-Star back-court duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Both have responded in a way that would please the Raptor faithful. DeRozan had his three most productive nights of the series against the Miami Heat in the last three games, while Kyle Lowry, who it seems the world has been watching after a sluggish start to the playoffs, has suddenly recaptured his devastating regular-season swagger. After scoring no more than 21 and averaging a modest 13.6 points through the first nine games of this postseason, Lowry has since averaged 27.8 points, with three contributions of 33 or more, in his last five starts. It shapes as the perfect time for the two-time All-Star to face the Cavaliers, which is an assignment he has already enjoyed. Lowry torched Cleveland with a career-high 43 points in a 99-97 victory, on February 26th and averaged 31.0 points on 66-percent shooting, in three meetings this season. The Big Dog isn’t high on Toronto’s chances in this series but if anyone is going to shine and possibly steal a game or two for the underdogs… it’s going to be Kyle Lowry.
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Over 21.5 (Kyle Lowry Total Player Points) @ $1.80 (Ladbrokes)
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