Jason Miller/Getty
The Cleveland Cavaliers rolled through the Toronto Raptors, completing a clean sweep on Sunday with a 109-102 win.Though the Raptors were without Kyle Lowry the final two games, the Cavaliers nonetheless looked like the better team, outscoring the Raptors by a total of 61 points in four games.
In doing so, the Cavs are now 8-0 this postseason and have bought themselves a huge extra benefit - a week of rest.
The Cavs won't play until Monday, May 15 at the earliest, depending on how the remainder of the Celtics-Wizards series shakes out. If that series goes to seven games, the Cavs likely won't play again until Wednesday, May 17.
That extra week is huge for a veteran team that's already coming off back-to-back Finals appearances. The Cavs had a week off between the first and second round after sweeping the Pacers, and they've now essentially bought themselves an extra All-Star break in the middle of the playoffs.
All season long, there have been concerns over LeBron James' workload. He averaged nearly 38 minutes per game this season, his most in three years, and a surprising number considering his age (32) and miles on his legs after six straight Finals appearances. James plays until June every year - unnecessary regular-season minutes could make a difference later in the year.
While extra time off won't erase all of those minutes James played, a week to rest and recover in the postseason is huge. Rust may be a concern when the Cavs lace up again for the Conference Finals, but a little break in the grind of the playoffs may be a season-changer for an older Cavs team hoping to play into June again.