Raptors celebrate Siakam's return by beating Cavs

Raptors celebrate Siakam's return by beating Cavs:

 Strengthened by the presence of Pascal Siakam and Scotty Barnes, the Raptors beat a weakened Cavaliers 100-88 Monday night, missing Jarrett Allen under the rim and missing a long-range shot from Kevin Loves. 

O.G. Anunoby became another key man of the night for the Raptors as the game's top scorer with 20 points. Donovan Mitchell's defense finished with just eight points. Siakam, who hasn't played since being injured on November 4, completed a double-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Spaniard Juancho He Hernangómez excelled in his defensive work, adding 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block in his 20 minutes of play. For the Cavaliers, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland were the team's top scorers, both of whom had double-doubles. Mobley had 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Garland had 18 points and 10 assists.

With the return of Siakam and Barnes on Monday, the Raptors began to recover from injuries to some of their key players in the past few games. And despite his return, Raptors coach Nick Nurse rewarded Huancho Hernangomez for his recent strong performances, especially on defense, and gave him a job in the starting eleven.

The Cavaliers are only halfway there, with the likes of Jarrett Allen, Kevin Love, and Ricky Rubio still absent, while the Torontonians have begun to clear. In the game against the Raptors on Monday, the Cavaliers were down to 10 men. Rubio, who suffered an ACL tear in his left knee in December 2021, appears to be nearing the end of his ordeal. The Spaniard took part in an indoor shooting and practice session at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto before the match.

Coach J.B. The Cavs' Bickerstaff said today that the Spaniard's recovery is progressing well, but the Cleveland team has yet to set a date for his return to the pitch. "We don't have a specific date yet," Bickerstaff said, adding that "soon" Rubio will have a doctor's appointment "to see how he's recovering. And what's his condition?" The Cavaliers coach continued: “And from there it was just a matter of ramping up and playing again, five against five, and sort of trying to give him as much practice time as possible.

Facing the Raptors, Cleveland's men suffered from a lack of benches and were only able to cope with the locals in the first quarter. Siakam returns to avenge the Cavs. The Cameroonian took on his familiar leading role from the first seconds and shouldered the weight of the Raptors' attack. In 7 minutes of the first half, Siakam continuously attacked the Cavs and finished the first 12 minutes with 8 points and 4 rebounds. Meanwhile, among the guests, Mobley asserted his stature under the basket, with 5 points and 5 rebounds in fourth place. In addition, Garland has 7 points and Mitchell adds 5 points. The first half ended with the Raptors leading by two points, 26-24.