In the first game between the Raptors and Cavs, the Cavs proved best by beating Toronto 113 to 112 in overtime.
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In Game 2, LeBron was back to his dominant self. James has at least four more playoff games in 2018 and who knows how many for the rest of his career? Love had 31 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists, shooting 11-for-21 from the floor. No player in National Basketball Association history has done that in as many playoff games.
The Raptors did little to ease the anxiety or allay the fears of their avid fan base headed by rapper Drake, losing a highly winnable Game 1 in overtime Tuesday night. James scored 27 points after the break, as the Cavs built an insurmountable lead. All of this led to Love getting open – and this time he knocked the shots down.
The Raptors also couldn’t seal the deal in the restricted area, missing 14 shots in the fourth quarter (3-17) which was the most by any team in any quarter over the last 20 postseasons. Thompson rebounded and a foul was called, so the Cavs merely had to inbound the ball with.3 to go.
The Raptors’ defensive comportment was poor in the first half and somehow got worse in the second half. Mike Greenberg also missed it, as he stated that the Cavs weren’t going to be able to go up 2-0 in the series. Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Fred VanVleet tallied 14 points off the bench for Toronto. Just a few hours after I wrote about Kevin Love struggling throughout the postseason, he goes out and totally redeems himself.
Love said he knew at the morning shootaround that James was locked in when he predicted some of the improbable jump shots.
“I think considering the circumstances, we definitely stole one”, said Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue. That setup carried the Cavs past the Pacers in seven hard-fought games, but didn’t figure to sustain them against the tough opponents they’d find later in the playoffs.
Obviously, the strategy didn’t work, and the Cavs will nearly surely adjust for Game 2.
DeMar DeRozan paced the Raptors and Kyle Lowry added 21. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider in order to watch these streams, but if you don’t have that, you can sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or DirecTV Now credentials to sign in and watch on ESPN’s platforms. The Raptors went from leading 33-19 after the first quarter to hanging on to a 60-57 lead at halftime.
It started with another Serge Ibaka turnover seconds into the half – just like the Ibaka turnover that began the game. Smith and Green poured in 11 points each and Cleveland knocked down 5 3s. While the Raptors still scored well, it wasn’t enough to keep up.
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In Game 1, Cleveland outscored Toronto 17-10 in clutch time, last 5 minutes with the score within 5 points. Mostly, I just don’t want to hear the million “I told you sos” that would come with a Raptors’ loss. Philadelphia hosts Game 3 Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
