After missing ten games due to an adductor injury, forward Pascal Siakam was back in the starting lineup for the Toronto Raptors in their victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, 100-88

 

Siakam scored 18 points in 30 minutes on 7 of 14 field goal attempts, adding 11 rebounds and five assists. O.G. Anunoby contributed 20 points, and Fred VanVleet added 13 points and the best plus-24 rating on the squad.

 

Following two games missed due to a knee injury, Scottie Barnes came off the bench and finished with eleven points, five assists, and four rebounds.

 

Donovan Mitchell had his lowest point total since joining the Cavaliers in the offseason, just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting. Evan Mobley and Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 18 points each.

 

This season, Toronto has triumphed in both meetings with Cleveland. On October 19, in both clubs’ opening game of the season, the Raptors won 108-105. After losing to Toronto to start the season, Cleveland went on an eight-game winning streak and entered Scotiabank Arena with a five-game winning streak.

 

The Cavaliers made just 7 of their 38 attempts from beyond the arc, which is their lowest percentage and lowest number this season (.184). In Sunday’s victory over the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland made eight 3-pointers, matching their previous season’s low.

 

Without Siakam, the Raptors finished the season 5-5 while also missing several other important rotation players, such as Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes, and Precious Achiuwa.

 

Before getting ill, Siakam was off to a career-best start to the season, averaging 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 48% from the field. He is presently the only NBA player to post those figures.

 

The Raptors are presently 8-2 at home and 11-9 overall. Wednesday’s game against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans is the next stop on the schedule.