Toronto rapt or kidding itself?
TweetLET’S be blunt here. Most NBA pundits expected a 4-0 Eastern Conference Final sweep by Cleveland over Toronto.
Or, at best, the Raptors, after losing the opening two games in Cleveland by 50 points, to dig deep and rise for one game at home to force the Cavs to win it 4-1.
But 2-2? Seriously. Did anyone south of the Canadian-USA border even dare dream of such a thing?
Not expecting this to happen but who in their right mind even conceived of the possibility – however remote – OKC and Toronto might play off for the championship?
Crazy talk.
Well, a week ago it would have been.
A week before that and most would have said the best four teams still in the hunt were Golden State, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Cleveland.
Well the Spurs never made it out of Oklahoma.
Then today, as Kyle Lowry played the Cavaliers for a switch at the top of the key, drawing cement-footed JR Smith as his defender, then driving by him for what, at 22.5 seconds left, would prove the final 105-99 scoreline, suddenly Cleveland was in a series.
With Toronto!
LOWRY FOR THE WIN: As Kyle drove to the hoop, not a single Cav stepped up to help Smith. Picture: GETTY IMAGES
Lowry scored 35 points and DeMar DeRozan 32 for the Raptors, their combined 67 points the most they have enjoyed as a partnership.
Bismack Biyombo had 14 rebounds to make it 40 in total since the Raptors got back to Toronto where they now are 8-2 at home this postseason.
“Going back home we have to play a lot better and we will,” LeBron James, who scored 29 points, said.
Kyrie Irving had 26 for the Cavaliers, who trailed by as many as 18 points.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey was fined $25,000 for criticising the officials following Toronto’s Game 3 win – they did not have a single free throw through Game 4’s first half so I'd guess that double backfired - the same amount the NBA fined Golden State’s Draymond Green for his errant kick between the legs of Oklahoma’s centre Steven Adams.
But a suspension? That would be nuts.
NBA PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
FINAL:
G1: Cleveland 115, Toronto 84
G2: Cleveland 108, Toronto 89
G3: Cleveland 84, Toronto 99
G4: Cleveland 99, Toronto 105
Series tied 2-2
SEMI FINAL:
G1: Cleveland 104, Atlanta 93
G2: Cleveland 123, Atlanta 98
G3: Cleveland 121, Atlanta 108
G4: Cleveland 100, Atlanta 99
Cleveland advances 4-0
G1: Miami 102, Toronto 96 in o/t
G2: Miami 92, Toronto 96 in o/t
G3: Miami 91, Toronto 95
G4: Miami 94, Toronto 87 in o/t
G5: Miami 91, Toronto 99
G6: Miami 103, Toronto 91
G7: Miami 89, Toronto 116
Toronto advances 4-3
FIRST ROUND:
G1: Indiana 100, Toronto 90
G2: Indiana 87, Toronto 98
G3: Indiana 85, Toronto 101
G4: Indiana 100, Toronto 83
G5: Indiana 99, Toronto 102
G6: Indiana 101, Toronto 83
G7: Indiana 84, Toronto 89
Toronto advances 4-3
G1: Atlanta 102, Boston 101
G2: Atlanta 89, Boston 72
G3: Atlanta 103, Boston 111
G4: Atlanta 95, Boston 104
G5: Atlanta 110, Boston 84
G6: Atlanta 104, Boston 92
Atlanta advances 4-2
G1: Cleveland 106, Detroit 101
G2: Cleveland 107, Detroit 90
G3: Cleveland 101, Detroit 91
G4: Cleveland 100, Detroit 98
Cleveland advances, 4-0
G1: Miami 123, Charlotte 91
G2: Miami 115, Charlotte 103
G3: Miami 80, Charlotte 96
G4: Miami 85, Charlotte 89
G5: Miami 88, Charlotte 90
G6: Miami 97, Charlotte 90
G7: Miami 106, Charlotte 73
Miami advances 4-3
WESTERN CONFERENCE
FINAL:
G1: Golden State 102, Oklahoma 108
G2: Golden State 118, Oklahoma 91
G3: Golden State 105, Oklahoma 133
Oklahoma leads 2-1
SEMI FINALS:
G1: San Antonio 124, Oklahoma 92
G2: San Antonio 97, Oklahoma 98
G3: San Antonio 100, Oklahoma 96
G4: San Antonio 97, Oklahoma 111
G5: San Antonio 91, Oklahoma 95
G6: San Antonio 99, Oklahoma 113
Oklahoma advances 4-2
G1: Golden State 118, Portland 106
G2: Golden State 110, Portland 99
G3: Golden State 108, Portland 120
G4: Golden State 132, Portland 125 in o/t
G5: Golden State 125, Portland 121
Golden State advances 4-1
FIRST ROUND:
G1: Golden State 104, Houston 78
G2: Golden State 115, Houston 106
G3: Golden State 96, Houston 97
G4: Golden State 121, Houston 94
G5: Golden State 114, Houston 81
Golden State advances 4-1
G1: Oklahoma 108, Dallas 70
G2: Oklahoma 84, Dallas 85
G3: Oklahoma 131, Dallas 102
G4: Oklahoma 119, Dallas 108
G5: Oklahoma 118, Dallas 104
Oklahoma advances 4-1
G1: San Antonio 106, Memphis 74
G2: San Antonio 94, Memphis 68
G3: San Antonio 96, Memphis 87
G4: San Antonio 116, Memphis 95
San Antonio advances 4-0
G1: Los Angeles 115, Portland 95
G2: Los Angeles 102, Portland 81
G3: Los Angeles 88, Portland 96
G4: Los Angeles 84, Portland 98
G5: Los Angeles 98, Portland 108
G6: Los Angeles 103, Portland 106
Portland advances 4-2