Paul Pierce Expects Cavaliers to Dispatch Raptors Quickly
paul-pierce-expects-cavaliers-to-dispatch-raptors-quickly
Cleveland, OH — NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce believes the Cleveland Cavaliers will have little difficulty moving past the Toronto Raptors in their upcoming first-round series.
Speaking on the “No Fouls Given” podcast, the 2008 Finals MVP noted that Cleveland, the Eastern Conference’s No. 4 seed, carries significant postseason pressure but said Toronto “isn’t really a threat.”
“I’m looking at, all right, can James Harden shake the ghost of not showing up in Game 6s and 7s if this series tends to go like that? Can Donovan Mitchell lead his team to a conference finals, which I don’t believe he’s been to yet?” Pierce said. “The urgency is definitely going to be there for them.”
Pierce added that the Raptors have not faced the Cavaliers since Cleveland acquired Harden at midseason, calling the current roster “a completely different team” from the one Toronto saw earlier in the year. “I’m looking for the Cavs to make quick work of [Toronto],” he said.
Game 1 is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The best-of-seven series will mark the Cavaliers’ first playoff appearance with the Harden-Mitchell backcourt.
Source: Hoops Wire
