{"id":318490,"date":"2026-04-14T13:35:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T08:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=318490"},"modified":"2026-04-14T13:35:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T08:05:11","slug":"five-thingsto-know-raptors-vs-cavaliers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/14\/five-thingsto-know-raptors-vs-cavaliers\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Thingsto Know: Raptors vs. Cavaliers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>TORONTO \u2013 The Toronto Raptors will return to the NBA playoffs after they open their best-of-seven first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. It\u2019s the primary time Toronto has been within the playoffs for the reason that 2021-22 season after they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.<\/p>\n<p>Listed here are five things you could know:<\/p>\n<p>DECEPTIVE RECORD \u2014 The Raptors swept the regular-season series with the Cavaliers, winning all three of their games. Nevertheless, all three of those victories got here in a season-defining span between Oct. 31 and Nov. 26, when Toronto went 13-1. More importantly, Cleveland made a blockbuster trade for surefire Hall of Famer James Harden on Feb. 4, reshaping the team\u2019s offence.<\/p>\n<p>FAMILIAR FOES \u2014 It&#8217;ll be fourth time the Raptors and Cavaliers meet within the post-season, with Cleveland dominating the lopsided rivalry with a 12-2 record over the previous three series. Led by all-time great LeBron James, the Cavaliers won the 2016 Eastern Conference finals 4-2, then swept the 2017 and 2018 East semis.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"l-article__part\" data-shortcode=\"related_videos\">\n<div class=\"l-inlineStories l-inlineStories--video\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"l-inlineStories__title\">Related Videos<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<section id=\"miniplayer-carousel\" class=\"l-videoCarousel l-videoCarousel--embed c-carousel\" data-video-carousel-play-inline=\"true\" data-video-carousel-init=\"false\" aria-label=\"Video carousel contains 10 videos.\">\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__inner\">\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__featured\">\n<div class=\"c-video c-videoPlay \" data-iframe-receiver=\"\" data-autoplay=\"\" data-displayinline-featured=\"true\" data-displayinline-type=\"video\" data-displayinline-player-id=\"miniplayer\" data-displayinline-video-id=\"11736470\" data-displayinline-ratio=\"16:9\" data-displayinline=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/video\/embed\/playlist\/11736470,11520120,11519608,11499192,11272226,11267415,11265148,11264380,11194605,11009057\/?poster=https%3A%2F%2Fi0.wp.com%2Fmedia.globalnews.ca%2Fvideostatic%2Fnews%2Fi1cz8nprrt-1lb2c4wke3%2FRAPTORS_FAN_DAY_VMS.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26quality%3D70%26strip%3Dall#autoplay&#038;stickyiframe=miniplayer\" data-displayinline-playlist=\"11736470,11520120,11519608,11499192,11272226,11267415,11265148,11264380,11194605,11009057\" data-displayinline-sticky=\"true\" data-permutive-data='{\"content\":{\"name\":\"Toronto Raptors hold annual March break fan day at Scotiabank Arena\",\"type\":\"video\",\"sections\":[\"videos\",\"barrie\",\"durham\",\"guelph\",\"hamilton\",\"kingston\",\"kitchener\",\"london\",\"national\",\"ottawa\",\"peterborough\",\"toronto\",\"canada\",\"sports\"],\"keywords\":[\"acc\",\"basketballs\",\"canadian-tire\",\"good-news\",\"jurassic-park\",\"nba\",\"nba-fan-days\",\"ontario\",\"raps\",\"raptors\",\"raptors-fan-day\",\"scotiabank-arena\",\"short-clip\",\"toronto-raptors\"],\"iab\":{\"categories\":[\"Sports\/Team Sports\/Basketball\",\"News\",\"Sports\",\"News\/Sports News\",\"Sports\/Team Sports\"],\"tags\":[\"2016 NBA playoffs\",\"Basketball\",\"Brandon Ingram\",\"Brooklyn\",\"Brooklyn Nets\",\"Chucky Hepburn\",\"Cleveland\",\"Cleveland Cavaliers\",\"Darko Rajakoviu0107\",\"Finland\",\"Food\",\"Food service\",\"Head coach\",\"James Harden\",\"Jurassic\",\"Jurassic Park\",\"LeBron James\",\"Maple leaf\",\"Maple Leaf Square\",\"Memphis Grizzlies\",\"Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame\",\"National Basketball Association\",\"NBA Conference Finals\",\"NBA Play-In Tournament\",\"NBA playoffs\",\"Philadelphia\",\"Philadelphia 76ers\",\"Playoffs\",\"Scotiabank\",\"Scotiabank Arena\",\"Serbia\",\"Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia\",\"Tailgate party\",\"Taylor Jenkins\",\"The Canadian Press\",\"Toronto\",\"Toronto Raptors\",\"Tuomas Iisalo\",\"Yugoslavia\"]}}}'>\n<div class=\"c-video__inner \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__placeholder\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-video__image\" alt=\"Click to play video: 'Toronto Raptors hold annual March break fan day at Scotiabank Arena'\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/i1cz8nprrt-1lb2c4wke3\/RAPTORS_FAN_DAY_VMS.jpg?w=1040&#038;quality=70&#038;strip=all\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, \" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 1040px) 1040px,(min-width: 720px) 720px,450px\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__overlay\"><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"c-video__duration\">1:08<\/time><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__title\">Toronto Raptors hold annual March break fan day at Scotiabank Arena<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__glide glide \">\n<div class=\"glide__arrows c-carousel__buttons l-videoCarousel__buttons\" data-glide-el=\"controls\">\n\t<button class=\"glide__arrow glide__arrow--left c-carousel__button c-carousel__prev l-videoCarousel__button l-videoCarousel__prev c-longform-gallery__prev\" data-glide-dir=\"<\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Previous Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<button class=\"glide__arrow glide__arrow--right c-carousel__button c-carousel__next l-videoCarousel__button l-videoCarousel__next c-longform-gallery__next\" data-glide-dir=\">&#8220;><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Next Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"c-carousel__goto\" data-glide-dir=\"=0\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><\/button>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t<!-- video stream item --><\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>HEALING TIME \u2014 Toronto\u2019s roster was pretty banged up heading into the ultimate game of the regular season, although all but Chucky Hepburn (knee surgery) made themselves available to play within the playoff-clinching 136-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. Advancing straight to the playoffs and skipping the play-in tournament can be key to the Raptors getting some badly needed rest.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup\" data-newsletter-inline=\"\">\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"170\" height=\"225\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/images\/skyline\/national.jpg\" alt=\"Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup__content\">\n<h2 class=\"c-inlineSignup__title\">Get each day National news<\/h2>\n<p>Get each day Canada news delivered to your inbox so you may never miss the day&#8217;s top stories.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a time that we are able to get some rest and reset. I\u2019m blissful about it,\u201d said all-star forward Brandon Ingram. \u201cWe got a pair days before we got to step back on the ground again. Rest is all the time good.<\/p>\n<p>EUROVISION \u2014 Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, who&#8217;s from Serbia, became the primary European coach to steer an NBA team for a whole season and reach the playoffs. Finland\u2019s Tuomas Iisalo was promoted to go coach of the Memphis Grizzlies on March 28, 2025, but they already had a 44\u201429 record when he took over from the fired Taylor Jenkins and were sure for the playoffs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-tabs\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t<button role=\"tab\" class=\"c-tabs__tab c-tabs__tab--active\" type=\"button\">More on Sports<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t<button role=\"tab\" class=\"c-tabs__tab\" type=\"button\">More videos<\/button>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s not a whole lot of us, it\u2019s not an enormous accomplishment,\u201d joked Rajakovic before getting more serious. \u201cThere are such a lot of players, so many coaches from the previous Yugoslavia, especially from Serbia, that made this path possible for me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout all of those successes of our national team, without successes of the clubs, of individual successes of players after which coaches, I&#8217;d never be on this position.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>JURASSIC PARK RETURNS \u2014 The Raptors announced on Monday that their tailgate party in Maple Leaf Square on the west of Toronto\u2019s Scotiabank Arena \u2014 colloquially often known as Jurassic Park \u2014 will return for home and away games throughout the post-season. The event will feature onstage entertainment, pop-up activations, special appearances from celebrities and team personalities, exclusive prizes, food and beverage offerings, in addition to merchandise.<\/p>\n<p>This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t&#038;copy 2026 The Canadian Press\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TORONTO \u2013 The Toronto Raptors will return to the NBA playoffs after they open their best-of-seven first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. It\u2019s the primary time Toronto has been within the playoffs for the reason that 2021-22 season after they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. Listed here are five things [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":318491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[2584,3491,50591],"class_list":["post-318490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-cavaliers","tag-raptors","tag-thingsto"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=318490"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":318493,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318490\/revisions\/318493"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/318491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=318490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=318490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=318490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}