(Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND - For the second straight season the Cleveland Cavaliers have swept the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Playoffs. The Cavs did it this year in dominate fashion defeating the Raptors 128-93 to move onto the Eastern Conference Finals.
The first quarter was a competitive quarter, but the Cavs did lead 30-26 after one. JR Smith went 5-fot-5 in the first quarter and had 12 points. The Cavs started to impose their will on Raptors, leading by 16 at halftime and 28 at the end of third.
One factor that helped the Cavs pull away late and put this game to rest, was DeMar DeRozan was ejected towards the end of the third quarter when his foul on Jordan Clarkson was reviewed and up graded to a Flagrant 2.
The Cavaliers starters showed up in a big way tonight to lead the Cavs to the Conference Finals. They were led by LeBron James who finished just shy of a triple-double scoring 29 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds. Kevin Love added 23 points and 6 rebounds, JR Smith finished the night going 6-for-6 and scoring 15 points, Kyle Korver went 4-for-5 from behind the arch and scored 16 points, and George Hill added 12 points.
Toronto and their stars just did not show up in Cleveland tonight. Their All-Stars in DeMar DeRozan had 13 points before his ejection, and Kyle Lowry scored only 5 points. Raptors were actually led by Valanciunas off the bench scoring 18 points and 5 rebounds. The other starters for the Raptors, CJ Miles scored 13 points, and Surge Ibaka scored 12 points.
The Cleveland Cavaliers await the winner of the Philadelphia 76ers’ and the Boston Celtics. The Earliest the Cavs would play game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals would be Mothers’ Day Sunday May 13.
Kipp Cullin WTAM 1100