CLEVELAND _ Coach Dwane Casey thought his Toronto Raptors would play better with their backs against the wall, even though that meant they were coming off a loss.
He thought he knew what is required to beat the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena, where they are 17-1 in the playoffs dating back to 2015.
"You have to outwork 'em and outscrap 'em, you've got to play desperate, you've got to play hard. You've got to respect 'em, but you can't fear 'em," Casey said before Wednesday's game.
But nothing Casey tried worked in the Cavs' 125-103 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Seven-foot center Jonas Valanciunas reappeared after his invisible performance in Game 1, scoring 19 of his 23 points in the first half. But the Cavs were knocking down 3s to the Lithuanian's 2s, so the Raptors made little headway. The halftime score was identical to Game 1.
Casey started a small lineup with Norman Powell and Patrick Patterson replacing Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll, only to see the Raptors outrebounded 13-2 in the first quarter.
The Raptors' leading scorer, DeMar DeRozan, who recorded career-highs in points and rebounds during the regular season, continued his struggles, scoring just five points. He followed up a 7-for-16 shooting effort in Game 1 by going 2-of-11 in Game 2. He was scoreless in the first quarter and had one point in the first half.
Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury 27 seconds into the second half. While he returned to the game, he spent the entire fourth quarter in the locker room.
No matter what adjustment Casey made, the Raptors couldn't get the Cavs to crack.
As a result, the Cavs head to Air Canada Centre with a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. James has led 12 series 2-0 in his Cavs' career and has never lost; he's 19-0 in series under those circumstances counting his four seasons with the Miami Heat.
The Raptors faced the same daunting task a year ago in the conference finals and won two home games before being eliminated in six by the eventual NBA champions.
But this series doesn't have the same feel. DeRozan's body language exuded no confidence. The Raptors haven't shown the same physicality in the paint as they did in 2016 when Valanciunas was sidelined with a sprained ankle and Bismack Biyombo was stirring things up.
February trades for Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker still have not given the Raptors' enough of a scoring punch, especially with DeRozan in a funk.
After falling to 1-12 in playoff Game 1s on Monday, the Raptors headed home still without a playoff win on the road since April 26, 2001 in New York against the Knicks in the first round.
The Raptors have fallen to the Cavs by an average margin of 24.2 in their five playoff games at the Q.
If the Cavs take pleasure in their opponents' misery, it must have been a satisfying night.
Even more sickening for Casey was that the Cavs gave the Raptors some openings.
The Cavs committed 10 first-half turnovers, which led to 10 Raptors points. The Cavs had six giveaways in the first quarter, more than they totaled in three quarters (four) in Game 1.
Irving continued to struggle from the field, going 6-for-19 (3-of-6 from beyond the arc) after shooting .219 from 3-point range in the first round against the Pacers.
Kyle Korver scored three points after getting six points in Game 1.
Game 2 of any series is usually a game of adjustments. But there may be no answer for the Raptors when LeBron James is in full playoff mode, as he is now.
James scored 39 points, hitting 10-of-14 field goals and 4-of-6 3s before leaving with 6:10 remaining. He added six rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes.
He recorded his 50th 30-point career double-double in the playoffs, third most in league history behind Elgin Baylor (57) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James scored 30 or more in his 89th postseason game, breaking a tie with Kobe Bryant and now trailing only Michael Jordan.
James (302) also became the fourth player in league history to make 300 3-pointers in the playoffs, joining Ray Allen (385), Reggie Miller (320) and Manu Ginobili (312).
James hit that milestone with 7:29 left in second quarter. At that point, the Cavs had hit all 8 of their 3-point attempts; they finished 18-of-33 (54.5).
The Cavs' leader, James also took responsibility for making sure they were ready for any defensive scheme or offensive lineup Casey trotted out. James succeeded on that front as well.
"Mentally I'm prepared for every situation," James said at shootaround. "I'm prepared for them being big, going small, having three point guards on the court, having four wings and one point guard, having two bigs. I'm ready for whatever that they're capable of or can do for their team."
The Raptors will have more energy before their rabid crowd at home. But the series' outcome seems inevitable as long as James is healthy.
In the next two games, Casey's team may be scrappy, may play hard with a sense of desperation and still not win. They may not have Lowry due to injury.
When it comes to the task of stopping James and the Cavs, many in the Eastern Conference share the Raptors' despair.
