The Cavaliers defeated the Raptors on the road Friday night to seize a commanding 3-0 series lead. Here are three big takeaways from Game 3.
The Cavaliers came out a bit lethargic as the Raptors’ home crowd showed up in full effect. With the NBA’s most famous global team ambassador in attendance, Toronto seemed to find new life early on. The Raptors were playing sound defense and forcing the Cavaliers into tough shots and silly turnovers. Despite going scoreless from 3-point range, Toronto led 52-49 at the half.
The Raptors’ effort was valiant, but they struggled to find consistent offense beyond DeMar DeRozan. All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry missed the game with an ankle injury, leaving a gaping hole in Toronto’s attack. LeBron James poured in 35 points and shot 15-of-16 from the free throw line. Cleveland used a late 17-1 surge to put this game out of reach and put Toronto on the brink of elimination.
Takeaways
The Cavaliers were not that interested in this game, but they won anyway. They committed multiple unforced errors and were sloppy in the opening minutes. Though Kevin Love was aggressive early on, the rest of the Cavaliers seemed bored with the Raptors. Toronto was dictating the game as Cleveland was playing like a team enjoying a 2-0 series lead.
But when it was winning time, the Cavaliers quickly put an end to the Raptors’ resistance in Game 3. Cleveland outscored Toronto 20-3 to start the fourth quarter and the crowd in Air Canada Centre fell silent. This loss is especially deflating for Raptors’ fans considering the offensive effort by DeMar DeRozan.
DeMar DeRozan was back to balling like it’s 1999. The Raptors’ superstar shooting guard was in attack mode all night. He drilled mid-range jumpers, floaters, and routinely visited the charity stripe. DeRozan scored from everywhere but the 3-point line. Cleveland threw different defenders at him, but none were successful.
DeRozan bounced back from a forgettable Game 2 to score 37 points on 12-for-23 shooting from the field. He also went 13-for-13 on free throws. True to form, DeRozan had zero 3-point attempts as he plays a throwback in-between game. Unfortunately for Raptors’ fans, it’s 2017 and three will always be more than two.
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Cleveland continues their 3-point clinic. The most glaring difference in this series has been long-range shooting. Cleveland outscored Toronto by 51 points from distance through the first two games. Tonight was not any different. The Raptors missed their first 12 attempts from beyond the arc and did not make a 3-pointer until midway through the third quarter.
The Cavaliers shot 13-for-23 from distance compared to 2-for-18 for the Raptors. Cleveland has now been 84 points better than Toronto on 3s. It’s about time for Toronto to start thinking about next season. Sorry Raptors fans, if you’re reading this, it’s too late.