Love rebounded from two awful shooting games to score a game-high 25 points, James had 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and the Cavaliers dismantled the Toronto Raptors in a 116-78 win Wednesday that gives Cleveland an emphatic 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals. LeBron James had a great all-around game with 23 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving added 23 points. Cleveland’s defensive effort was much better in this game than how it was in the previous 2 games on the road.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers “Big Three” were not going to let them lose in Game 5 against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
After the game, coach Dwane Casey didn’t seem to concerned with the reports.
But Cleveland then reeled off the first five points of the fourth quarter to narrow the gap and soon trailed by one point after Channing Frye made his second straight three-pointer. The Cavaliers were so far ahead James, Irving and Love sat out the fourth quarter. Cleveland have won three games in the series by a combined 88 points, and won their last four over Toronto at home by 110.
“Those two road games in Toronto were probably the loudest I’ve played in and going in to Game Six, I think I’m a little more prepared as well as our team is”, Irving said. “Now it’s our chance to come back, get some home cooked meals and have a chance to play in front of our home crowd”.
On a night to forget, All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors in scoring with 14 points, while All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry managed just 13 points. He hit 8 of 10 shots and finished with a game-best 25 points in just 24 minutes.
Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue talked with Kevin Love.
A courtside doctor might have stopped this one in the first half.
After struggling badly in Games 3 and 4, Kevin Love was incredible in Game 5.
Toronto’s two premiere players have a been a barometer for Raptors’ success, or lack thereof, in this series. “That has helped.”. Toronto C Jonas Valanciunas was cleared to play in Game 4, but he did not play in part because Bismack Biyombo performed so well in his absence.
Win the game in a building where the Cavs are 0-4 this season. “Our communication, everything had to be a lot sharper, and we took a lot that we had to learn from that game, including myself. He’s had an unbelievable playoffs, he’s played very well and he’s had two bad shooting nights”. “I’ve been here a long time”, James said. In the team’s Game 1 loss, they combined for 26 points; in Game 2’s loss, 32.
“You come into every game looking for a game like this”, Love said.
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Cleveland’s onslaught continued in the second quarter, and when James got free for an easy two-handed dunk, Cavs fans could relax and begin making TV viewing plans for Friday. “We’ll figure that out once we get past Friday”.
