The Cleveland Cavaliers aim to eclipse their win total from each of the previous two seasons on Saturday when they play host to the Toronto Raptors.
Cleveland has recorded back-to-back victories to reach 19 wins on the season with 21 games remaining. The Cavaliers also had 19 wins in each of the two campaigns (19-63 in 2018-19, 19-46 in 2019-20) that followed a run of four straight NBA Finals appearances.
“It’s the big picture. That’s the most important thing,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Cleveland.com of the team’s modest steps forward. “When we’re doing what we’re doing, you can’t live and die with every small victory or every small loss. You have to have an idea of what the big picture is and then you have to have people who support you in that.
“... Having that support and knowing what the big picture is, you can take some of those lumps because you know you have an opportunity to keep building and you don’t feel that pressure with every single small loss or small victory.”
The Cavaliers didn’t just enjoy a small victory on Thursday. Six players scored in double figures to lead Cleveland to a lopsided 129-102 win over the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder.
The reeling Raptors have dropped two in a row and 15 of their past 18 after dropping a 122-113 decision to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.
Chris Boucher erupted for career-high totals in points (38) and rebounds (19), while Pascal Siakam added 27 and eight, respectively.
“He had a night, that’s for sure,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse said of Boucher, who made 14 of 24 shots from the floor. “He was hitting shots that I don’t think I’ve seen him take before. And he obviously was a problem on the glass for them on both sides.”
Boucher’s performance was a welcome sight for a Raptors club without Kyle Lowry (foot) and Fred VanVleet (hip). VanVleet, in fact, will serve his one-game suspension after his role in a skirmish against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday when he is healthy enough to do so.