The Toronto Raptors just tied the Eastern Conference Finals by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 on Monday night, finishing the game 105-99. The rapper has been dedicated to supporting the Toronto Raptors in their National Basketball Association playoffs run, and after their back-to-back wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he felt confident enough to do a little trash talking – and Kyrie Irving was his first victim! The Raptors however would not be denied as they would pull away late to win game 4 105-99. No team has been able to win on the road this series, the home team taking all four games, and the Raptors have played some very bad games in Cleveland this season, including a 20+ point blowout by the Cavs in the regular seasons, and dominating performances in Games 1 and 2 of this series. Along, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan who both had over 30 points in Game 4, Toronto have found their way in this series on both ends of the court.
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LeBron James (29 points on 11 from 16 shooting) again struggled to find consistent help from the likes of JR Smith, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Point guard Kyrie Irving scored 26 points and added six assists with three rebounds.
“They’re always unsafe with the guys they have who can get going at any time”, said Cleveland’s backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova.
“After a thorough investigation that included review of all available video angles and interviews with the players involved and the officials working the game, we have determined that Green’s foul was unnecessary and excessive and warranted the upgrade and fine”, VanDeWeghe said in a statement. The series is at 2-2, not a sweep and will not be over in Game 5.
And consider history. Is there a parallel between this Cavs team and the 2012 San Antonio Spurs, the last team to start the playoffs 10-0?
“We have to take that one-on-one challenge and be better with those two guys”, Lue said.
On a night that marked the Toronto Raptors’ most dramatic game of the post-season, they clawed their way back to tie up the NBA Eastern Conference finals. “Will be sore tomorrow, but nothing that will prevent me from playing”.
In the second half, the Cavaliers succeed in making some threes resulting for them to cut the lead to seven early in the third quarter. But the Cavaliers, who’d made just three of their 22 three-point shots in the first half started hitting from long distance, and when Irving drained two straight, he pointed at Drake as he ran back upcourt. “But (the two wins) does give us more rhythm and more confidence going against them now that we have a little bit better feel of what we can and cannot do against this team”.
Cleveland came out flat, falling behind by 16 in the first half and relying too much on its 3-point shooting, which has suddenly gone as cold as a Saskatchewan winter. We’re in it. Someone said we were in it just to win one game. They were both saying, back in the Miami series, that this team would be scary if they both got going at once. That crowd gives them energy, just like our crowd gives us energy. Well, they were 14 for 41 in Game 3, and 13 for 41 in Game 4.
The Raptors didn’t go the free throw line once in the first half – a rare occurrence. The Cavs decided on a move to use screen-and-rolls using LeBron James at the elbow to take a 3 point lead.
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Lowry scored nine in the fourth and DeRozan had 12, connecting on five of six shots. The Raptors were up by four with a minute to play and their defence came up huge, with a couple of key rebounds and a Biyombo block.
