TORONTO, Sporting Alert – All-Star duo DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry combined to score 67 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-99 in Game 4 to level the Eastern Conference finals 2-2 on Monday night. Click To Download Box Score
Game 5 in the series returns to Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Ball game. Raps win! We're all tied up. Off to Cleveland for Gm 5.@SonnetInsurance Final: https://t.co/EenpBnN9UD pic.twitter.com/UabWxwIDMy
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 24, 2016
Lowry, seems to be hitting his best form again after struggling earlier in the playoffs, scored 35 points on 14 for 20 shooting, while dishing out five assists, pulling down five rebounds and picking up three steals in the win for the Raptors, who had dropped the first two games of the series in Cleveland.
“I’m a confident player,” Lowry said about returning to form at the Air Canada Centre. “I go there and do my job.
“I can live with the critics.”
He added: “We have to continue to make sure that when the Cavs punch, we punch back. And if they punch three times, we punch four times.”
DeRozan scored 32 points on 14 for 23 shooting from the floor, while Bismack Biyombo grabbed 14 rebounds for Toronto, which outscored the Cavaliers 44-38 on points scored in the paint.
“We’ve been counted out, and we like that challenge,” DeRozan noted.
LeBron James led the Cavs with 29 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals, with Kyrie Irving finishing with 26 points and six assists.
“Going back home we have to play a lot better and I think we will,” James told reporters.
However, the struggles of star forward Kevin Love continued on Monday night, after he went 4 for 14 on shooting from the field for 10 points, while pulling down seven rebounds.
James and No. 1 seed were impressive for most of the fourth quarter after making their first 11 shots.
However, they failed to make shots done the stretch and the Raptors, who grabbed two vital offensive rebounds in the last moments, pulled away for the win.
“It wasn’t enough because we got off to a horrible first half once again in this building and you’re playing catch up the whole game,” James said.
The Cavaliers were losing consecutive playoff games this season after winning 10 straight to start the the postseason.
Cleveland was also losing back-to-back game to an Eastern Conference opponent for the first time since dropping the last three games of the conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics in six-years-ago.
Home teams have won all seven meeting this season, including playoffs battles.
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