They held a double-digit, fourth quarter lead in Game 7 of their first round series with the Pacers – only to look terrified to do anything but sit on the ball for the final six minutes, almost allowing in to come back and win.
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The Cavs earned the first seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 57-25 finish in the regular season. The Cavs host Toronto in Game 1 on Tuesday after a nine-day break, while Toronto has played eight games in 15 days.
DeMar DeRozan added 28 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors, who will advance to the conference final against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Biyombo was sensational filling in for injured center Jonas Valanciunas as he gave Toronto 41 minutes and responded with 17 points and 16 rebounds while also blocking two shots.
In this they were led by DeRozan and Lowry, who picked up where they left off from their “empty-the-clip” performance against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey sees it as “as another step” for his team but says they are not going to rest on any laurels. “But we’re not done yet”.
TORONTO (AP) – Less than two weeks ago, Kyle Lowry was a struggling so badly that he stayed past midnight to work on his game after a tough playoff loss. The Raptors did shoot better in Game 7 than they had most of the series, making nine of their 20 three-point attempts.
Lowry came up with an offensive rebound and got it to DeRozan for a jumper and a possession later drilled his fifth three of the afternoon to put Toronto up by 24 points, the largest lead by either team in the series.
“I think we’d have an opportunity to do something special”, said Lowry. They pushed both their series to Game 7’s despite being under manned and in some cases under sized. “He runs the floor, cleans the glass on both ends and he’s really been the X-factor for them that got them over the hump”.
They became the 15th team in National Basketball Association history to win two Game 7s in the same postseason, and before tipoff, Casey said, “If you’re not jacked up to play today, we’re in the wrong profession”.
It was the second winner-takes-all game for Toronto in these playoffs, as they knocked out in in a Game 7 in the opening round.
The Cavs haven’t played since wrapping up a four-game sweep – their second of the postseason – over Atlanta on May 8. I’m not saying we can do that, but I think this group is hungry and never say never.
“The most important thing will be our disposition, getting down, getting ready, of keeping the guy in front of you, keeping a tight paint”, said Casey.
Scouting booklets for the Cleveland series were sitting on the chair of each Raptors player inside their locker room less than an hour after the game. “Tonight was just a great atmosphere and I knew that this guy to my left [Goran Dragic] was going to have an wonderful performance tonight”. Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo (8) celebrates by Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) during during the second half of Game 7 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinals in Toronto, Sunday, May 1.
Wade and LeBron James communicated about the possibility they would match up as rivals only two seasons after they broke up as teammates in Miami. They won their past four Game 7s, all at home. Miami was seeking to join the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics as the only teams to win five straight game sevens.
“I told him during the IN series, we just need you to make two big plays IN a row, and the place goes insane”, Raptors forward Luis Scola said earlier IN the series. Winslow and Luol Deng combined for five blocks – but those five possessions hardly acted as a template. It had not happened except in stretches, but the Raptors reminded the world why it was the East’s second best regular season team.
They went into the fourth ahead 86-78, and when Biyombo muscled his way in for a monstrous dunk – and Usain Bolt celebration – and then Carroll drilled a three, the delirious Air Canada Centre crowd went nuts. The Raptors went on a 10-2 surge completed by Patterson’s three-point play to lead 46-39 with 3:16 left in the first half.
“Once we got it to six I thought we had a chance”, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
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The Toronto Raptors have made history.
