The Cavaliers and an incredible LeBron James rally past Toronto in 2nd half
James’ final line was 35 points, 17 assists, and zero turnovers. No one’s ever done that in NBA history.
Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
Toronto was amazing, but Cleveland’s second half surge — led by LeBron James’ 35 points, 17 assists, and zero turnovers — was too much. We’ve seen that story before. That said, the Raptors have been part of some incredible games this year. Props to them.
Kevin Love with a MASSIVE make — 4th quarter, 27.5 remaining
There was some fouling, game-extending shenanigans that happened, but this ultimately held up as the game-winning shot.
IT’S LEBRON O’CLOCK Y’ALL — 4th quarter, 3:40 remaining
How did LeBron just do this?? — 4th quarter, 4:53 remaining
COME FOR THE KING, YOU BEST NOT MISS — 4th quarter, 6:01 remaining
J.R. Smith just hit back-to-back 3s — 4th quarter, 7:33 remaining
The Cavaliers got punched in the face in the third quarter, but came out swinging in the second half. Cleveland has cut Toronto’s once 15-point lead down to just one and enter the fourth quarter trailing, 99-98.
Jose Calderon has gone four-of-four from three. George Hill has 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting. In total, every Cleveland starter has scored in double figures.
This one’s gearing up for a wild ending.
It’s a three-point game! — 3rd quarter, 1:45 remaining
Cleveland has clawed its way back from a double-digit deficit. They’re not going away without a fight.
What a pass, LeBron — 3rd quarter, 5:00 remaining
Only LeBron could make this pass
The Cavaliers punched the Raptors in the mouth — 3rd quarter, 8:17 remaining
Down 15 at the half, Cleveland came out swinging in the second half. They cut the lead down to as little as eight but trail 83-73 right now.
The Raptors ran up 79 points against the Cavaliers in the first half of their matchup on Wednesday. It was the most points Toronto has scored in a half all season long.
On the very last possession of the half, LeBron James inexplicably left Fred VanVleet wide open in the corner.
Kyle Lowry is hotter than fish grease — 2nd quarter, 1:42 remaining
No, we didn’t make that up. The commentator actually said this after Lowry drilled back-to-back threes. The Raptors are now up 12.
Toronto’s bench is still killing Cleveland — 2nd quarter, 3:02 remaining
More buckets — 2nd quarter, 4:01 remaining
The Raptors already have 60 points, and there’s still more than four minutes to go in the second quarter. They lead, 64-55.
Raptors bench mob
The Raptors’ second unit has come in and tied the game at 46. Fred VanVleet won’t miss from three. Somebody get Cleveland some help.
The first quarter of Cavaliers vs. Raptors has been a shootout and Cleveland looks like they’ll be entering the second period with a slight advantage. Toronto is playing the second of a back-to-back, coming off of a seven-point win over Orlando. But the Raptors look anything but tired, at least in the first quarter.
There is no defense in this game, that’s for sure. LeBron James already almost has a double double with nine points and seven early assists. And the Cavaliers as a team are 5-of-6 from deep.
The only thing we know for sure is that neither of the Raptors nor the Cavs are playing defense. This one’s going to be a barn burner.
Two East powerhouse teams will go toe-to-toe in a showdown that could be an early peek into this year’s Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavaliers and Raptors will battle it out on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET in a matchup televised nationally on ESPN and available for live stream on Watch ESPN.
The Raptors have seized the No. 1 seed in the East thank’s to a revamped offensive system highlighted by All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan, who remade his game over the summer. He is enjoying the best season of his career, and the Raptors are poised to make a legitimate championship run largely because of his play.
Toronto isn’t just a one-man show. Their bench is playing as good as any second unit in the NBA. Kyle Lowry is a bulldog at the point guard slot, and Jonas Valanciunas is having another solid season. Toronto is in the midst of their third straight 50-win season, but they’ve got their eyes set on a bigger goal this year.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have had one of the weirdest seasons in their history. After falling short in last year’s NBA Finals, they were forced to trade Kyrie Irving for a package headlined by Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. They then traded Thomas and Crowder, along with everyone else they acquired in free agency, in the middle of the season. Cleveland is figuring things out on the fly, but they recently welcomed Kevin Love back from his hand injury. Compounding the Cavs’ issues, head coach Tyronn Lue has stepped away from the team to address a health problem. And they’re still without Rodney Hood, Cedi Osman and Tristan Thompson due to varying injuries.
The Cavaliers stand just fourth in the East but are only 2.5 games from falling to sixth. LeBron James has still been outstanding. He’s recorded a career-best 16 triple doubles this season, including eight since Feb. 1. But the Cavaliers don’t seem like the lock to make the NBA Finals that they’ve been in each of the past three seasons. The tables have turned.
The Raptors pounded the Cavaliers, 133-99, in their last meeting, but Cleveland has a totally different roster than in their last meeting. A victory for either team would be a statement. For the Raptors, the win would legitimize their standing as a true threat to seize The King’s throne. For the Cavaliers, a victory is a reminder: You never count out Cleveland, no matter what happens in the regular season.
Raptors vs. Cavaliers on Wednesday night is one you don’t want to miss. Here’s how to watch:
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
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