Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey and Draymond Green would probably get along really well.
Neither of them likes to sugarcoat anything.
True to form, Casey didn’t sugarcoat the performance of his team during its 116-78 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, per the New York Times‘ Scott Cacciola:
“They kicked our butts,” Raptors Coach Dwane Casey said. “That’s the bottom line.”
The Raptors’ butts were, indeed, kicked.
Game 5 was like Games 1 and 2 all over again. The Raptors got out to an early lead, then fell behind, then fell behind by even more, and the game was out of reach by halftime.
It was pointless to even watch the second half, unless you were hoping to see if the Cavaliers could extend their lead to 50. There was nothing of value to really glean from it.
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were once again collectively terrible on the offensive end, and their supporting cast didn’t take advantage of the open shots they were getting off Cleveland’s traps of the two superstars.
Put simply, Game 5 was an absolute bloodbath—the Raptors’ worst performance of the series. Now they go home for another must-win game on Friday, this time actually facing elimination.
Though the Raptors have been much better at home during the playoffs, posting an 8-2 record, we have to wonder: Can they really rebound from another letdown, as they did in Game 3, against a team like the Cavaliers, who can now taste the NBA Finals?
