Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com
IT WAS OVER WHEN
Cory Joseph drilled a jumper with 1:38 remaining to put Toronto ahead by 14 and force the Cavaliers into a timeout. Cleveland subbed out its starters and the Raptors closed out a 99-84 victory to move the series to 2-1.
SETTING THE TONE EARLY
The first quarter was a close one, despite the Cavaliers shooting 36 percent to Toronto’s 48 percent. Toronto’s five-point lead midway through the quarter was the largest for either team, and the Raptors were able to hang on to lead by three after the opening 12 minutes behind a 12-point quarter from DeMar DeRozan.
CLOSING THE HALF STRONG
Toronto has had issues with closing quarters in the postseason and gave up a 16-2 run to close the half that broke the game open in Game 2. It was a different story on Saturday, despite Kyle Lowry going to the bench with 8:07 remaining in the half after picking up his third foul. Thanks to a strong effort from Cory Joseph off the bench, the Raptors turned a three-point lead into a 13-point lead at the break.
HANGING TOUGH IN THE THIRD
Cleveland came out aggressive in the third quarter, quickly trimming Toronto’s lead to single digits, and then getting within five on multiple occasions. Still, Toronto held its ground, and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Cory Joseph put the Raptors ahead by 10 heading into the fourth.
DEFENSIVE STAND TO SECURE THE WIN
The Raptors forced the Cavaliers into a 14-point fourth quarter, their lowest of the postseason, where they shot 31 percent from the floor. Bismack Biyombo was a presence in the paint, but got into the action on the offensive end of the floor as well, scoring six straight to help Toronto keep the game out of reach.
RAPTORS PLAYER OF THE GAME
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Bismack Biyombo was a force on the boards in Game 3, hauling down a Raptors’ franchise-record 26 rebounds (including eight on the offensive glass) in 39 minutes. Biyombo scored seven points and added an assist and four blocked shots. He shot 3-for-6 from the floor and 1-for-2 from the free throw line.
UNDERRATED RAPTORS PLAYER OF THE GAME
DeMar DeRozan had a brilliant offensive game, scoring a game-high 32 points in 40 minutes. He shot 12-for-24 from the floor, 8-for-9 from the free throw line and added five rebounds and four assists without a turnover. DeRozan helped Toronto build its lead early as he aggressively attacked the paint. He kept the Raptors ahead in the third as Cleveland simply didn’t have an answer for him.
THAT'S A RAP…
“People have written us off all year, but we’ve played through it. We’re got to continue to do it. It’s not over yet. It’s a long series. It says a lot about our guys’ character and resiliency.”- Dwane Casey on bouncing back from a rough start to the series
BY THE #’S
54…Rebounds for Toronto, 40 for Cleveland. Bismack Biyombo’s eight offensive rebounds matched Cleveland’s team total and helped Toronto to a 12-8 edge on the offensive glass.
20…Points, six rebounds, three assists for Kyle Lowry despite being limited to 33 minutes of action because of foul trouble.
3…Technical fouls called in the game as tempers were high throughout. Tristan Thompson and James Jones were whistled for technicals for Cleveland, with Cory Joseph picking up Toronto’s lone tech.
36…Points in the paint for Toronto, just 20 for the Cavaliers after Cleveland had dominated inside in the first two games of the series.
THEY SAID IT…
“After I got the license from [Dikembe] Mutombo. I saw him one time and we were having this conversation and he was telling me how, ‘I hadn’t even you permission to use my finger yet’…Once he gave me permission to use his finger wag, then I guess I just want to leave his legacy and make sure that I show him some love as my big brother.”- Bismack Biyombo on the finger wag celebration
“Oh, he was huge. I thought he played a big-time game in the paint. He’s done to for us all year and I think he’s kind of the spirit of our team.”- Dwane Casey on Bismack Biyombo
“We get nights like this often now, and it’s fun. We need. We want it. I don't know if the fans know how much we appreciate it, but we really do appreciate it. We want them to be as loud as they possibly can. I think it affects the other teams, and it gives us that energy. We know we make a big run or we make a big shot or Bis gets a block and he goes and does his little thing, they've it. We feed off that positive energy.”- Kyle Lowry on the energy from the ACC crowd
“That’s the defensive performance we have to play with the rest of the series. We didn’t play the first two games [that way], and it was a big game for us.”- DeMarre Carroll on the defensive effort in Game 3
“It was amazing, honestly. It was amazing, man. Twenty-six rebounds. Protecting the rim. He was big-time tonight. Without him tonight, we probably wouldn’t get this win.”- DeMar DeRozan with high praise for Bismack Bigombo’s big night.
UP NEXT:
Game 3 tips off in Toronto on Monday night at 8:30 P.M. ET.