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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: RAPTORS v CAVALIERS

May 24, 2016

Dwane Casey

Cleveland, Ohio: Practice Day

Conference call with reporters between Games 4 and 5:

Q. The ability that [Bismack] Biyombo has to guard small guys on the perimeter, how important has that been to be able to take [Kevin] Love and a little bit of [Channing] Frye out of these games?
DWANE CASEY: It helps us when we have to switch, especially when they're playing Love at the five or Frye at the five. It gives us the flexibility to be able to switch Bismack onto them. It's helped us in the other series.

It's a luxury we have that. We know we have Jonas [Valanciunas], who's more of an interior center. But it's really a luxury for us to have a guy that can get out and also switch out on some ones and twos and threes and even some fours and fives.

Q. The two games in Cleveland were terribly one-sided. What, as a coach, do you need to correct more than anything else to be competitive tomorrow night?
DWANE CASEY: One thing we've got to do is cut down on the runs. The games that we lost there, there were probably three- or four-minute segments, portions of the game that really did us in in both games. If we can sustain our defense against their runs and not let them blow it open in those three- or four-minute segments -- and we've got to respond offensively. That's what we did not do when they went on their offensive run in Cleveland.

So hopefully, we have it figured out -- the rotation, the personnel on the court help figure that out to cut down on those runs.

Q. Do you think Love is rattled?
DWANE CASEY: No, I don't think so. I just think that Channing Frye is shooting the ball extremely well. Love missed some open shots that we've got to figure out to make sure that we stay with him. But Channing Frye is a hot player right now, and I think that's trumped -- this time of year, no matter who you are, you're going to put your best players out there on the floor, the guys that producing no matter what. You're not really thinking big picture right now. You're thinking about winning the basketball game.

Q. What is the plan for Valanciunas in Game 5?
DWANE CASEY: Hopefully, we can get him involved. Again, it depends on the lineup they have on the court. I know he's our starting center, but it's tough to put him out there if they're playing Channing Frye big minutes at the five. We just have to make sure that he has a matchup and he's not out there chasing three-point shooters all around the perimeter.

But if he does get called, we've got to be able to make them pay and have him in the paint, posting up and getting touches down there. And also too, he's going to be valuable for us because he is an excellent passer and can make plays from the top of the key.

Q. I think DeMar [DeRozan] his last three games is shooting something like 53 percent from the field. What are you seeing in the shots he's getting and how well he's been able to take advantage of openings in the defense?
DWANE CASEY: It's a make-or-miss league. He's getting some of the similar shots that we had in Games 1 and 2, and in the previous series. He's just playing with a great rhythm right now and knocking down those shots. It's good to see. He's one of those guys that, once he sees one go in, he kind of gets that rhythm. He's in a pretty good rhythm right now. We want to make sure we maintain that.

We need to make sure we continue our spacing, continue our ball movement and make sure we continue to screen for him to get him a lot of those open looks.

Q. As you continue to play deeper and deeper and pile up the minutes, are you doing anything different in between games or during practice that you did in previous rounds?
DWANE CASEY: No, we're doing the same thing. We've been playing game/day off, game/day off, game/day off for the last probably month. We've got a rhythm pretty much like we've had the last couple of series, and it's worked out well for us. We're making sure we get our preparation. Guys are making sure they're getting their workouts in.

Q. What does your team gain internally from the two wins at home? And how does that change what these people are?
DWANE CASEY: It doesn't. It really doesn't. They're a great team. We know who they are. They know who we are. I think we have gotten a little bit more familiar with what they're trying to do and giving us a little bit more confidence as far as to stop it. Also, offensively, it's given us a feel of what they're trying to do to us defensively.

As we go further, I think it just helps both teams to get more comfortable. It gets into a little more of a chess match as the series goes on. We've learned some things, and I'm sure we have too.

Q. Let me rephrase it. How much have your players grown, as individuals and as a team, with the success they've had in this round to date?
DWANE CASEY: I don't know if they've grown. I don't know if you're going to grow in three or four games. Again, it's a feel. It's a rhythm. It's confidence. If you're asking if it gives some confidence to win two games at home, yes.

But I will say this: It's going to be a different animal back in Cleveland, as it is in every series. When you go into another team's home territory, it's a little bit tougher. But it does give us more rhythm and more confidence going against them now that we have a little bit better feel of what we can and cannot do against this team.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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