Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com
IT WAS OVER WHEN
Iman Shumpert made one of two free throws with a second remaining to seal a wild 121-117 victory for the Cavaliers. After trailing by seven with under five minutes remaining, Cleveland closed the game on an 18-5 run to give the Raptors their third loss of the season.
STARTING FIVE SWITCH-UP
For the second consecutive game, Norman Powell was in the starting five alongside Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas and Pascal Siakam. DeMarre Carroll was available but did not play in the game.
RAPTORS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Kyle Lowry was spectacular in a losing effort for the Raptors, scoring a team-high 28 points in 40 minutes. Lowry shot 11-for-23 from the floor, 4-for-8 from beyond the arc, and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. He also added five rebounds, nine assists and four steals while turning the ball over just once. Lowry seemed to be everywhere for Toronto, doing all that he could to try to notch the victory.
UNDERRATED RAPTORS PLAYER OF THE GAME
DeMar DeRozan’s 30-point streak ended in Cleveland, but it was another big game from the NBA’s leading scorer. DeRozan finished with 26 points to go with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Terrence Ross scored 18 points off the bench in 25 minutes of play. He shot 7-for-12 from the floor, scoring on jumpers and three-pointers (4-for-7), as well as driving to the basket. Ross contributed 10 of his points in the fourth on 4-for-6 shooting as he helped Toronto build a seven-point lead.
THAT'S A RAP…
“They executed to perfection at the end. They got the shots that they wanted and knew what they wanted to run and they got good looks.”- DeMar DeRozan on the Cavaliers down the stretch
BY THE #’S
28…Points, 14 assists, nine rebounds and a steal for LeBron James who just missed out on a triple-double in 38 minutes. James shot 10-for-15 from the floor.
8…Just eight turnovers for the Raptors who continue to be one of the best teams in the league at taking care of the ball. Cleveland had 17 turnovers, leading to 26 points for the Raptors. The Cavs only managed to score seven points off Toronto’s miscues.
52…Points in the paint for the Raptors, 44 for the Cavaliers.
46…Rebounds for Cleveland, 40 for Toronto.
71…Percent shooting from the free throw line for the Cavs (20-for-28), compared to the Raptors who were uncharacteristically sloppy with their free throws, shooting 68 percent (12-for-18).
THEY SAID IT…
“At the end of the day we want to win every single game every time we touch the floor we want to win games. For us, it’s get better, understand what to do and continue to grow.”- Kyle Lowry not praising moral victories
“They were attacking. They were posting up. We were small at the three position. We were trying to get out to their shooters which opened up some lanes and alleys and they attacked us.”- Dwane Casey on the Cavaliers getting to the basket
“It was fun. You know, just try to make it as difficult as possible for all of the guys I was guarding. Being physical with them and taking them off of their line. I was just trying to make it difficult for them to get their looks and get to their spots.”- Norman Powell on having to guard so many different players in the game
“Guys competed. They competed. There’s a lot of games left. It’s not the end of the world. You’re talking about the championship team. Things we can take care of control and do better at as far as switches, and containing the basketball, open shots making, even though we shot 48 percent and 44 from the three.”- Dwane Casey pleased with his team’s effort in a close game
“We’ll be ready. It’s another back-to-back. An early season back to back. We’ve got to good team coming in, I’m sure they’ll be rested and waiting for us, but we’ve got to go out there, lace them up and play.”- Kyle Lowry on returning home to face the Warriors on Wednesday
UP NEXT:
The Raptors return to Toronto to take on the Golden State Warriors on the Air Canada Centre floor at 8 P.M. ET.