Cavs keep busy as Heat, Raptors clash in Game 7

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - Even coach Tyronn Lue came off the floor sweating on Saturday.

Don’t think for a second the unbeaten Cavaliers have been lounging around the past week as they’ve waited for their next opponent.

“Guys have been really busting their butt in the gym,” forward Channing Frye said as beads of perspiration streaked the sides of his face.

Unblemished and seemingly unstoppable through the first two rounds of the playoffs, LeBron James & Co. finally know they’ll host Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night. All that’s left to be determined is whether they’ll play Miami or Toronto. The Heat and Raptors will play Game 7, with the winner earning a shot at the 8-0 Cavs.

Lue said he’s been watching the Miami-Toronto series, but not every second. He’s more interested in reviewing film of Cleveland’s games against both teams to see if he can spot any tendencies or weaknesses.

The Cavs won’t practice until Sunday evening after the Heat and Raptors conclude Game 7, that way they’ll be able to prepare for a specific opponent – not two.

Cleveland hasn’t played since May 8, when it completed its second consecutive postseason sweep, ousting an Atlanta Hawks team that was grounded by the Cavs’ battalion of 3-point marksmen. The Cavs dropped 77 3-pointers in four games, and they’re hoping the long break between series won’t cool off their shooting touch.

To combat any rust, Lue has made sure his team worked on its conditioning. They’ve been running and lifting and lifting and running.

On Wednesday, the Cavs endured a grueling workout supervised by strength and conditioning coach Derek Millender. The brutal, 40-minute session included time on a punishing piece of cardiovascular exercise equipment that left many of the players too tired to run.

“That was pretty tough,” forward Tristan Thompson said. “But I thought it was great for us because the team could push each other. It was fun. I thought it brought us even closer together as a team.”

The nine-day break could most help the 31-year-old James, who had to carry the Cavs a year ago. He’s averaging a career-low 23.5 points so far as Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have stepped up.