{"id":319902,"date":"2026-04-17T03:44:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T22:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=319902"},"modified":"2026-04-17T03:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T22:14:10","slug":"raptors-must-play-hard-versus-cavaliers-forwards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/17\/raptors-must-play-hard-versus-cavaliers-forwards\/","title":{"rendered":"Raptors must play hard versus Cavaliers forwards"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>TORONTO \u2013 Being over six-foot-seven can be considered tall in most walks of life, but within the NBA, that makes you an undersized forward.<\/p>\n<p>That shall be Toronto Raptors\u2019 challenge of their first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.<\/p>\n<p>Although seven-foot Jakob Poeltl, six-foot-nine Sandro Mamukelashvili and six-foot-seven Collin Murray-Boyles aren\u2019t short by anyone\u2019s definition, they\u2019ll be tangling with Cleveland\u2019s frontcourt of six-foot-nine Jarrett Allen and six-foot-11 Evan Mobley. Murray-Boyles, who has impressed at centre in his rookie season for Toronto, said he couldn\u2019t emulate the sport of Mobley, last season\u2019s Defensive Player of the 12 months, even when he desired to.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know if I can study that. He\u2019s got a pair inches on me,\u201d joked Murray-Boyles on Thursday. \u201cI\u2019ve watched most of his film and he\u2019s just blocking shots and mucking it up within the paint.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Raptors had the NBA\u2019s fifth-best defensive rating within the regular season (113.25) which helped them earn the Eastern Conference\u2019s No. 5 seed. Smart defensive switches and the flexibility of all-star swingman Scottie Barnes, helped them overcome taller opponents.<\/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<p>Making switches at an elite level shall be needed against Mobley, Allen and guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.<\/p>\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\",\"Sports\",\"Sports\/Team Sports\"],\"tags\":[\"Ball\",\"Basketball\",\"Basketball positions\",\"Cleveland\",\"Cleveland Cavaliers\",\"Darko Rajakoviu0107\",\"Donovan Mitchell\",\"Eastern Conference (NBA)\",\"Evan Mobley\",\"Head coach\",\"Jakob Pu00f6ltl\",\"James Harden\",\"Jarrett Allen\",\"Karl-Anthony Towns\",\"Los Angeles\",\"Los Angeles Clippers\",\"Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame\",\"National Basketball Association\",\"New York City\",\"New York Knicks\",\"OVO Athletic Centre\",\"Personal foul (basketball)\",\"Playoffs\",\"Points per game\",\"Rebound (basketball)\",\"Sandro Mamukelashvili\",\"Scottie Barnes\",\"Seed\",\"Sleep\",\"Swingman\",\"The Canadian Press\",\"Toronto\",\"Toronto Raptors\"]}}}'>\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>\u201cThey\u2019re a extremely, really good team and have lots of good pieces,\u201d said Murray-Boyles. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a extremely good challenge for me and the team as a complete. The matchup is pretty good as we now have Scott guarding their guards.<\/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 every day National news<\/h2>\n<p>Get every 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>\u201cThey&#8217;ve a extremely good backcourt, a extremely good frontcourt, really don\u2019t have many weaknesses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cleveland is nearly the alternative of Toronto, with the sixth-best offensive rating (119.26) within the league which helped carry the team to No. 4 within the East. The Raptors beat Cleveland in all three of their regular-season matchups, but all of them got here before the Cavaliers traded for Harden, a surefire Hall of Famer who&#8217;s averaging 23.6 points per game in 70 contests split between Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers.<\/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<p>\u201cWe ended the season being the fifth-best defence within the league, and that\u2019s without having seven-foot something players protecting and changing shots on the rim,\u201d said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. \u201cEvery little thing for our defence starts with how well we guard the ball and the way well we stay in front of the ball.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not only necessarily pressuring the complete court and attempting to make them commit turnovers. It\u2019s really making the center of them being physical with them, slow them down. I believe we\u2019ve got to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mamukelashvili was one in all only five reserves in the whole NBA that scored over 600 points and pulled down over 300 rebounds. He thinks it might be a mistake to get away from the tactics that helped Toronto qualify for the playoffs for the primary time in 4 years.<\/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<p>\u201cShould you make the playoffs and also you switch up your whole routine, like, what got you thru 82 games?\u201d he said after practice at Toronto\u2019s OVO Athletic Centre. \u201cThere have been some tough games, must-win games.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like now the one thing you&#8217;ve got to do is monitor sleep, ensure you get your rest. But all the pieces else is identical. I get up, I walk my dogs, come here and watch the film, then walk my dogs again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Each Murray-Boyles and Mamukelashvili said they\u2019ll need to be more physical to decelerate the Cavaliers.<\/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<p>\u201cRise up in peoples\u2019 grills, but, also, I actually have to be smart,\u201d said Murray-Boyles. \u201cThis shall be a extremely big challenge for me to remain out of foul trouble and really lock into personnel and lock into what I want to achieve this I will be effective in the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mamukelashvili said every possession will matter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not the very best player, but the very best team that wins, and whoever plays harder and whoever wants it more,\u201d said Mamukelashvili. \u201cAlso with playoff basketball you&#8217;ll be able to never underestimate anybody, but in addition you can&#8217;t be terrified of anybody.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve just got to return on the market and just play hard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 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 Being over six-foot-seven can be considered tall in most walks of life, but within the NBA, that makes you an undersized forward. That shall be Toronto Raptors\u2019 challenge of their first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although seven-foot Jakob Poeltl, six-foot-nine Sandro Mamukelashvili and six-foot-seven Collin Murray-Boyles aren\u2019t short by anyone\u2019s definition, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":319903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[2584,35715,4108,1121,3491],"class_list":["post-319902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-cavaliers","tag-forwards","tag-hard","tag-play","tag-raptors"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319902","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=319902"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":319905,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319902\/revisions\/319905"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/319903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=319902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=319902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}