Thanks to a beatdown in Game 5, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are now only one win away from returning to the NBA Finals
LeBron James is still king of the castle.
In a blowout that became nearly unwatchable, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors 116-78 to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
On the heels of losing two-straight games in Toronto, the Cavaliers came out and showed why they were considered the team to beat in the East.
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They were led by Kevin Love, who scored 25 points in the game. He was hot early, as he was a perfect 6-6 at halftime. He had 19 of his 25 in the first half. Through much of the first quarter, this game looked like a competitive playoff game.
With 4:20 left in the first quarter, the score was 20-16 in favor of the Cavaliers. Coach Tyronn Lue called a timeout and after that, the game was never close again.
The Cleveland Cavaliers would go on a 27-6 run that wouldn’t end until the 7:41 mark in the second quarter. After this run, the score was 47-22 and the Cavaliers had built a 25 point lead. The Cavaliers offense was able to get any shot they wanted during this run, and the Raptors could do nothing on offense or defense.
Perhaps the lone bright spot on this dreary night for the Raptors was the return of center Jonas Valanciunas, who scored nine points in his return. This was his first game since Game 3 against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Luckily for the Cavaliers, the run that spanned two quarters would not be the only big run of the half. With 5:37 left in the second, two Tristian Thompson free throws gave the Cavaliers an 51-28 lead. The beatdown would only continue as a 14-6 run to end the half would give the Cavaliers a 65-34 lead.
This lead at halftime (31) is now the largest recorded lead at halftime of an Eastern Conference Finals game.
In one of the best games the trio of Love, James and Kyrie Irving have ever had together, James did not disappoint. He finished the game with 23 points, along with eight rebounds and six assists. Another typical game for the game’s best player. Irving also added 23 points to the blowout.
The defense of the Cavaliers once again baffled the Raptors two All-Stars. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozen combined for just 27 points for the game. They shot a combined 7-20 from the field. These two have yet to figure out how to play on the road in this series and if the Raptors want to have any chance to win the next two, they will have to play well on the road in a potential Game 7
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, they need to take this momentum into Toronto and keep running the same offense that they ran this game. They need to continue to attack the hoop and take easy jumpers instead of settling for the three ball. In the three games that they have won this series, the Cavaliers have taken 20, 21 and 21 three point attempts. In both losses, they attempted 41 three pointers.
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Game 6 will be in Toronto where the Cavaliers will be looking to end the series. The Raptors will have to hope that Lowry and DeRozen are able to find their games again in order to extend this series one more game.