Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Statistical Showdown

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Feb 24, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard C.J. Miles (0) dribbles during the first half as Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra (left) looks on at the American Airlines Arena. MIami won 109-105. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

After snapping an 11-game losing streak specific to the Chicago Bulls that dated back to the 2009-10 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers also scooped up their third Central Division win of the season on Tuesday night. With Kyrie Irving out of the lineup and nursing a sore right knee, many players stepped up in his absence. Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson took hold of the team, while Shaun Livingston and Luke Walton did all they had to and more to help their team come away with a close victory. With Irving out for a second straight game, Cleveland will have a hard time beating a team Kyrie silenced in the waning seconds last time around. The key to victory, as we saw on Tuesday night, will lie within the turnover department:

Statistics

	Points	Points Allowed	Assists	Assists Allowed	Rebounds	Rebounds Allowed
Cavaliers	97.7 (t-12^th)	101.2 (23^rd)	20.4 (26^th)	23.7 (27^th)	41.0 (24^th)	41.9 (t-13^th)
Raptors	97.2 (16^th)	98.5 (17^th)	21.9 (t-18^th)	21.3 (t-9^th)	39.9 (t-28^th)	42.5 (19^th)

Advanced Statistics

	Offensive Efficiency	Defensive Efficiency
Cavaliers	101.8 (t-16^th)	107.1 (28^th)
Raptors	103.5 (12^th)	104.4 (21^st)

Four Factors

	eFG%	Free Throw Rate	Turnover Rate	Offensive Rebound Rate
Cavaliers	47.6 (23^rd)	.203 (19^th)	13.0 (5^th)	29.1 (7^th)
Raptors	48.7 (18^th)	.213 (10^th)	12.5 (3^rd)	25.5 (22^nd)

Players to Watch:

Cavaliers – Wayne Ellington, SG

1. 10.6 PPG in February (11 games)

2. 49.3 percent from field (last 10 games)

3. 0.8 SPG (last 10 games)

Raptors – Rudy Gay, SF

1. 7-4 record (since joining Toronto)

2. 20.1 PPG (since joining Toronto)

3. Shot season low 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) from field on Monday

Key Matchup: Tristan Thompson vs. Jonas Valanciunas – I’m not sure how often these two will match up on Wednesday night, but this is an interesting matchup in regards to when these players were chosen in the 2011 NBA Draft. Thompson, who was the No. 4 overall pick, went one selection ahead of Valanciunas. The Lithuanian star had to wait one year before he joined the NBA due to an existing contract with Lietuvos Rytas. Right now the 6-11 center stands in a similar position as Tyler Zeller: they are both young centers that have the length and athleticism to excel, but they get bullied around in the paint a lot. Thompson will have to show his worth to the doubters against the Raptors, and he could definitely have his way with the Toronto frontcourt in Cleveland.