TORONTO: The Toronto Raptors’ two-headed monster had only one head Friday night and for three quarters, it appeared it — or he — would shoot holes in the old axiom.
Especially against a Cavaliers team that played below its 2017 postseason standard in the first half.
Although Kyle Lowry was sidelined with a sprained right ankle, DeMar DeRozan tried to give the Toronto Raptors’ new life in their Eastern Conference semifinal series at Air Canada Centre.
After being held to a playoff career-low five points Wednesday, DeRozan exploded for 37 points.
Yet it still wasn’t enough.
LeBron James scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and Kyle Korver added some timely 3-point shooting as the Cavs ran off with a 115-94 victory to claim a 3-0 series lead.
Perhaps motivated by extra time off earned with a sweep, the Cavs can close out the series in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon in Toronto.
Toronto had not lost three consecutive games since the All-Star break. The last time was Feb. 8-14, before the acquisitions of Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker, brought in via trade to improve the Raptors defense against the Cavs in the playoffs.
Those two were just as helpless as the rest of the Raptors, who watched the Cavs go on a 17-1 fourth-quarter run to take a 99-80 lead with 5:47 remaining. Nine of those 17 were by James.
Last year in the Eastern Conference finals, the Cavs led 2-0, but the Raptors claimed the next two games before being eliminated in six. But at this point, James’ record of going 19-0 in playoff series with the Cavs and Miami Heat when his team has been up 2-0 seems a lock.
James also added eight rebounds and seven assists. He ran his career field goal total in the playoffs to 2,047, passing Shaquille O’Neal for the third-most in NBA postseason history.
The Cavs had held DeRozan in check during the first two games, largely because of the defense of J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and James. DeRozan had shot just 9-of-27 from the field in Quicken Loans Arena.
On Wednesday, he scored a playoff career-low five points in Game 2. It marked just the fifth time in his career DeRozan had scored under 10 points in a postseason game. But in the next game following those five, DeRozan had averaged 32.7 points.
He stayed true to form as he shot 12-of-23 from the field and 13-of-13 from the free-throw line. He scored 21 points in the first half, hitting 7-of-12 from the field and all seven of his free throw attempts.
Smith, the primary defender on DeRozan in the series, picked up his fourth foul with 11:27 left in the third quarter and his fifth at the 7:06 mark of the period. Smith’s foul problems allowed DeRozan to drive the lane unmolested on several occasions through three quarters.
The Cavs seemed in command after an Iman Shumpert layup gave the Cavs a 37-28 lead with 9:29 left in the second quarter. From there, the Raptors finished the quarter on a 24-12 run. The Cavs went scoreless for a span of 2:34, which also included two James turnovers. The Cavs hit only 7-of-22 field goals in the second period and lost four turnovers.
But the Cavs rallied from a 52-49 halftime deficit to take a 79-77 lead after three quarters as Korver got hot from 3-point range.
After totaling only nine points in the first two games, Korver closed the third quarter with consecutive 3-pointers and hit another to start the fourth. He went 5-for-7 from beyond the arc and finished with 14 points.
Tristan Thompson started the 17-1 burst with an and-one. The stretch ended with a Jonas Valanciunas field goal with 5:20 to go.
Kevin Love backed James with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists as the Cavs held a 49-25 advantage on the boards.
Valanciunas contributed 15 points for the Raptors, while Norman Powell added 13 points and Ibaka 12.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.