Game Rap: Raptors 99, Cavaliers 97

Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com

Kyle Lowry hit a step-back jumper with 3.9 seconds remaining to give the Raptors a two-point lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The jumper capped a career-best 43-point performance for Lowry. Trailing for much of the game, Toronto battled back from 14 down and held on for the 99-97 victory after a three-point attempt from LeBron James was off the mark at the buzzer. The victory was Toronto’s 10th straight at home, and moves the team to 39-18 on the season.

The Raptors didn’t get off to the start they’d wanted, missing their first five shots of the game. A nine-point quarter from Kyle Lowry helped Toronto get back into the game, but they trailed by 10 after the opening 12 minutes, shooting just 38 percent while giving up 57 percent shooting to the Cavaliers.

LeBron James played just 4:34 in the second quarter and the Raptors took advantage. Toronto outscored Cleveland 24-18 in the quarter and shot 71 percent from the floor, making 12-of-17 field goals. The strong play helped Toronto trim Cleveland’s lead to five at the break.

Toronto trailed by nine to open the fourth quarter. DeMar DeRozan was on the bench after leaving the game with flu-like symptoms in the third quarter. James Johnson, Luis Scola and Patrick Patterson each had four fouls. Jonas Valanciunas had left the game and returned after taking a shot to the ribs.

With pressure mounting, the Raptors remained calm, weathered the storm, and slowly but surely chipped away at the Cavaliers lead to give Lowry a chance to lead them to victory. The team had downplayed talk about Friday’s contest being a statement game all week, but the way they won — through adversity and from 14 down — was another step forward in the team’s growth.

DeMar DeRozan played 27 minutes before heading to the locker room in the third quarter with flu-like symptoms. After an extended rest on the bench, he returned with five minutes remaining and cut to the basket for his first and only field goal of the game to get the Raptors within two. DeRozan finished just 1-for-11 from the floor in a his 500th game in a Raptors uniform, but it was a gutsy effort through illness from the longest-tenured Raptor.

Kyle Lowry picked a good time to get the first game-winning shot of his career. The best player on the floor all night, Lowry exploded for a career-high 43 points on 15-for-20 field goals. He shot 11-for-15 from the free throw line and added five rebounds and nine assists in 43 minutes. Lowry played the entire second half and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor in the fourth quarter where he scored 16 of Toronto’s 31 points.

Terrence Ross bounced back from the first ejection of his career on Wednesday to contribute 15 points off the bench, including eight in the fourth quarter as the Raptors cut into Cleveland’s lead. Ross shot 6-for-11 from the floor, 3-for-6 from deep, and added two rebounds, and an assist in 27 minutes.

“A win is a win. Doesn’t matter if it came by me or if Bis hit a three, T-Ross would have hit a three. Doesn’t matter. A win is a win for us.”- Kyle Lowry on how it felt to get the game winner

31… Fourth-quarter points for the Raptors who outscored Cleveland 31-20 to complete the 14-point comeback.37… Bench points for Toronto compared to 23 for the Cavaliers.12… Made 3-pointers for Cleveland on 24 attempts compared to Toronto shooting 6-for-17 from deep.25… Points, eight rebounds, seven assists, a steal and six turnovers for LeBron James to lead the Cavaliers.50… Points in the paint for the Raptors, just 34 for Cleveland.

“It’s never a surprise for me. It’s more so entertaining to watch because I kind of feel like I have the luxury to say, ‘That’s my point guard.’ To be able to watch him do things like that and make it seem so effortless, and lead us to a victory.”- DeMar DeRozan on watching Kyle Lowry’s career-night“DeMar [DeRozan] and Cory [Joseph] are sick. Those guys had flu-like symptoms before the game started. We know that going in. I am proud of the way they fought through it. K-Low picked up the slack and we found a way through a lot of obstacles. A lot of obstacles, and guys were able to fight through it.”- Dwane Casey on being proud of his team for fighting through illness, foul trouble and the physicality of the game“I wouldn’t call it a statement. I’d call it, more so, us going out there and competing. Showing we can compete with the best teams in the league. Not necessarily a statement game because we think we’re one of the top teams in the league as well. It was one of those games that we knew was going to be hard fought and we’re happy we got the win.”- DeMar DeRozan on what the win means for the team

The Raptors head to Detroit to face the Pistons on Sunday at 6 P.M. ET.