Lineup change: Powell, Patterson inserted into Raptors’ starting lineup

CLEVELAND – The Raptors made two changes to their starting lineup for Wednesday’s Game 7, inserting Norman Powell and Patrick Patterson.

Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll were to come off the bench.

Coach Dwane Casey wasn’t revealing his hand when asked about changes at the morning shootaround. He denied a report that Powell and Jakob Poeltl would start over Carroll and Valanciunas on Wednesday night in Cleveland.

“I’ve seen where some people predicted and predicted wrong, so to speak. . . I’m not trying to be secretive, but we don’t want to give them a headstart of how to prepare, and who we’re going to play,” Casey said at the Raptors’ morning shootaround at Quicken Loans Arena.

“Predictions are wrong that are out there.”

Cleveland captured Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals 116-105 on Monday.

Down 2-1 in their opening-round series against Milwaukee, Casey started Powell over Valanciunas for the remainder of the series, and the move paid off. The Raptors went on to win it 4-2.

Cleveland star LeBron James was asked at the Cavs’ shootaround about Toronto potentially going smaller.

“Mentally I’m prepared for every situation they could put themselves in,” James said. “Me personally. 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, me personally I’m ready for whatever that they’re capable of or can do for their team.”

The series shifts to Toronto for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.