Raptors absorb major beatdown in Game 5
CLEVELAND — The Toronto Raptors have accomplished so much this season. But they just can’t seem to hang with the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road in the Eastern Conference finals.
After holding serve at home to even the series 2-2, the Raptors were trounced yet again in Cleveland, as they fell 116-78 on Wednesday in Game 5.
“They kicked our butts,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “That’s the bottom line. You get outrebounded by 21 [48-27] and commit 19 turnovers [for 30 Cleveland points]. Their physicality, we didn’t meet that standard tonight. And for whatever reason, we haven’t met it here in this building. That’s the bottom line. That’s the ballgame. That’s been all three games.”
Toronto has lost Games 1, 2 and 5 at Quicken Loans Arena by a combined 88 points. The Raptors will try to avoid playoff elimination on Friday in Game 6 at Air Canada Centre.
“It’s 3-2. It was embarrassing tonight the way we played, but it’s one game,” Casey said. “The series is not over.”
Winners of Game 5 in best-of-seven series tied at 2 go on to win the series 82 percent of the time, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
LeBron James (23 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds), Kyrie Irving (23 points) and Kevin Love (25 points) were dominant for three quarters before enjoying some rest in the fourth. The Cavs are a perfect 7-0 this season when every member of their big three scores 20 or more. Cleveland shot 57.1 percent from the field and had the edge in pretty much every statistical category.
“They were locked in from start to finish,” Casey said. “The force that they play with is different here, and we didn’t meet it. I don’t know what else to say. They’re a different team here. We had an opportunity to come in and do something special, and we didn’t get it done.”
Casey had hoped his team could avoid massive runs by Cleveland this time around, but the Raptors couldn’t. In Game 1, a 15-0 Cavs run bridging the end of the first and the beginning of the second quarters did Toronto in. In Game 2, it was a 16-2 Cleveland run at the end of the first half. This time, it was a 17-3 Cavs spurt to close the opening quarter. By that point, the game was already decided.
Kyle Lowry picked up a foul 72 seconds in and never recovered, as he was outplayed by Irving. In three road losses in the series, Lowry has scored 31 points, shot 2-for-19 from 3-point range and committed 14 turnovers. In two home wins, he has scored 55 points, shot 8-for-15 from 3-point range and committed five turnovers.
“I wish we would’ve boxed out [on the foul I picked up], but it takes a lot of the aggressiveness away because I don’t want to hurt my team by being off the floor,” Lowry said. “I think we got good shots early, but we also turned the ball over. I have to play more aggressive from the jump, and I’ve done it two games at home and not enough on the road.
“I don’t know what it is, because I always feel like I can get mine on the road, and I know my teammates are going to need me on the road later in the game. But earlier in the game, I have to be more aggressive, and hopefully we can get to Game 7, and I know what to do.”
After scoring 67 points combined in Game 4, Lowry and backcourt mate DeMar DeRozan (14 points on 2-for-8 shooting) combined for just 27 in Game 5, as the Cavs trapped the All-Star duo early and often.
The Raptors trailed by 31 at the break — the largest halftime deficit in conference finals history, according to ESPN Stats & Info. It was the first time in franchise history that Toronto had trailed by as many as 30 in a half.
Jonas Valanciunas returned after missing eight games because of a sprained right ankle and scored nine points in 18 minutes, so that’s something. But banged up DeMarre Carroll continues to struggle from the field; he has gone 4-for-24 from 3-point range in the series.
The Raptors are the only team that beat the Cavs four times this season. They were able to take care of business at home after going down 0-2, so that should give them confidence going into Game 6.
“Our backs are against the wall, but we’re a resilient group,” Carroll said. “We’ve been in this same situation the last two series, so we know what we need to do. There’s no more talking, no more motivational speeches. You just show up.”
It’s just hard to see Toronto being able to compete in Cleveland if this series goes to a Game 7.
