NBA: Fred VanVleet puts up 32 as Raptors top 76ers

Fred VanVleet scored 32 points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 24.8 seconds remaining, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the host Philadelphia 76ers 115-109 on Thursday.

Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby contributed 20 each and Chris Boucher had 17 for the Raptors, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Scottie Barnes contributed 13 points and nine rebounds.

Pascal Siakam was given the night off by the Raptors to rest his shoulder. Siakam has played in only two games after offseason shoulder surgery.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 33 points and Tobias Harris returned from a six-game absence due to health and safety protocols to produce 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Seth Curry added 15 points, Shake Milton had 12 and Andre Drummond grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots.

The Sixers have dropped three in a row immediately following a six-game winning streak.

Philadelphia played without Joel Embiid, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe all for health and safety protocols. Ben Simmons (personal reasons) has yet to play this season.

The Sixers went ahead 57-47 after Harris' floater in the lane with 34 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

The Raptors sliced the lead in half from there and trailed by five at halftime.

Toronto ripped off a 13-2 run capped by a Barnes jumper to go ahead 70-68 with 4:49 left in the third.

The Raptors quickly pulled out to a seven-point lead early in the fourth before Maxey came back with a tough jumper. Trent hit a trey and Boucher threw down a dunk for an 90-80 Raptors lead.

Milton knocked down a reverse layup with 7:23 remaining and the Sixers trailed 94-91. After an empty Toronto possession, Harris hit a jumper to cap a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to one.

Toronto answered with a surge of its own and took a 105-97 advantage with 4:31 left after Anunoby's 3-pointer from the wing.

A 9-0 Sixers surge, capped by Drummond's offensive rebound and layup with 1:44 remaining, put the hosts ahead 109-107.

Trent Jr. made a 3-pointer with 1:10 left as Toronto regained the lead 110-109. VanVleet's trey and two late Anunoby free throws sealed the win.

-Field Level Media 

Warriors sputter at times, fall in Game 1 of NBA Finals

TORONTO — Maybe it was the rust. Maybe it was the Raptors.

Either way, Golden State’s offense was not at its usual high-octane level on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals — and for the first time in this era of Warriors basketball, they face a 1-0 deficit in the title series.

The Warriors shot 44 percent, turned the ball over 17 times and fell to the Toronto Raptors 118-109 in the series opener. Going back to the 1975 finals, the Warriors had won Game 1 of the title matchup in each of their last five appearances in the series. The last time Golden State lost a Game 1 of the finals was 1967.

Golden State was playing for the first time in 10 days, and trailed for nearly 43 of the game’s 48 minutes. The Warriors trailed by 10 at the half, marking the fourth consecutive game where Golden State faced a double-digit deficit at some point.

In the last three of those contests, Golden State rallied to beat Portland.

Toronto didn’t fold and let this one slip away.


Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 16 field goals; the rest of the Warriors combined for only 18. Draymond Green, who did have a triple-double, shot 2 for 9. Andre Iguodala was 3 for 7, missing all four of his tries from 3-point range.

This is a matchup of offense vs. defense, the freewheeling Warriors against a Toronto team that has now peeled off five consecutive wins since falling behind Milwaukee 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals. The Raptors turned that series around by clamping down at the defensive end, particularly against Bucks star and likely MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

This time, it was against everyone.

Golden State’s two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP in Kevin Durant isn’t expected back for Game 2, either. The Warriors have said he won’t play until he can return to a full-fledged practice, and earlier Thursday coach Steve Kerr said it was unlikely that Durant participates in a practice before the team heads home to the Bay Area to prepare for Game 3 on Wednesday night.

So if something is going to change on Sunday when the finals resume in Toronto, it won’t be with Durant aiding the cause.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Kawhi Leonard, Raptors outlast Warriors in thrilling OT win

TORONTO — Not even a dominant Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors could slow down the red-hot Toronto Raptors.

Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 37 points, Pascal Siakam added a career-high 26 and the Raptors overcame a 51-point performance from Durant to beat the Warriors 131-128 in overtime on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to seven.


“We were able to make shots, we were able to get some stops in overtime,” Leonard said. “It’s a building block for us, and I’m happy we got the win.”

Kyle Lowry had 10 points and 12 assists, Serge Ibaka scored 20 points and Danny Green had 13 as the Raptors snapped an eight-game losing streak against Golden State and won a contest billed as a potential NBA Finals preview.

“What a game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “An incredible basketball game for the fans to watch. We came up just short.”

Toronto improved its league-leading record to 19-4.

Durant scored 40 or more in three straight for the first time, finishing with his highest total of the season. He also had 11 rebounds and six assists.

“Tonight we were down early, we were down big and I just tried to be aggressive and go get a bucket,” Durant said.

Klay Thompson scored 23 points and Jonas Jerebko had 16 of his 20 in the fourth quarter and overtime, but Golden State had its three-game winning streak snapped and lost to Toronto for the first time since March 2014.

Lowry’s 3-pointer with 55 seconds to go in the fourth quarter put the Raptors up 119-113 but Durant replied with back-to-back 3s of his own, including a game-tying shot with 8.6 seconds left.

“When he’s feeling it, there’s not a whole lot the defense can do,” Kerr said.

Leonard drove and kicked to Ibaka on the final possession, but the Raptors big man couldn’t get a shot off before the buzzer.

Green hit a tiebreaking 3 with 2:07 left in the extra session, and Toronto added to its lead when Lowry stole the ball from Andre Iguodala, leading to a pair of free throws by Siakam.

Jerebko’s dunk cut the gap to three but Toronto caught another break when Iguodala was called for travelling. Siakam was fouled and made one, with Leonard grabbing the rebound on the missed second shot. Siakam was fouled again, and capped it with another pair from the line.

“His confidence is very high,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said of Siakam. “It just keeps inching along.”

The short-handed Warriors were without star guard Stephen Curry, who sat for the 11th straight game because of a strained left groin. Curry is expected to return Saturday at Detroit.

“Obviously we’ve been looking forward to getting him back but I’m proud of the way the guys have fought without him,” Kerr said. “Hopefully Draymond (Green) won’t be too far behind him.”

Green (sprained right toe) and fellow forward Alfonzo McKinnie (sore left foot) both sat for the seventh straight game. Green hopes to be back around the end of the current road trip.

Leonard connected on his first six shots and scored 13 points in the first quarter. Siakam added 10 for the Raptors, who were up by 18 points in the first and led 38-25 after one.

“They did a really good job of throwing that first punch,” Iguodala said.

Thompson scored nine points in the second and Durant added eight as Golden State cut the deficit to 67-58 at the half.

Durant capped an 18-point third quarter with a 32-foot pull-up 3, the final basket in a personal 13-point streak.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Golden State has lost five straight on the road. … Kevon Looney matched a season high with 10 rebounds. … This five-game trip matches Golden State’s longest of their season.

Raptors: Toronto shot 16 for 22 in the first, going 6 of 10 from 3-point range. The Raptors were just 1 of 7 from beyond the arc in the second. … Leonard scored 22 points in the first two quarters, a season high for any half. … Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock sat courtside.

LIFE BEGINS AT 50

Durant reached 50 points for the sixth time in his career and second time with the Warriors.

DRESSED TO THRILL

Nurse wore a bright blue sports coat on the sidelines in a tribute to late sportscaster Craig Sager, but had shed it by the time he came to the podium afterward.

“The rental expired,” Nurse joked.

Kerr, who dressed more conservatively, said Nurse “definitely nailed” his colorful coat.

“I’m always thinking about Craig, especially when we have TNT games,” Kerr said. “I worked with him for eight years. He’s just such a part of the history of this game and a good friend, and we miss him.”

UP NEXT

Warriors: Visit Detroit on Saturday.

Raptors: Visit Cleveland on Saturday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

With no Leonard, Lowry lifts Raptors over Wizards

WASHINGTON (AP) — Taking over with Kawhi Leonard getting a night off, Kyle Lowry delivered 28 points and 12 assists Saturday night to help the Toronto Raptors improve to 3-0 with a 117-113 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The Raptors rested Leonard on the second half of a back-to-back and third game in four days to open the season.


Washington finished the game without ejected coach Scott Brooks. Bradley Beal scored 32 points, going 6 for 11 on 3s, and John Wall added 25 points and six assists for the Wizards, who are 0-2, with both games at home.

Beal broke Washington’s franchise record for most 3-pointers in a career, surpassing Gilbert Arenas’ previous mark of 868 by making his 869th with a little more than 4½ minutes left in the game. Less than a minute later, he made another 3, cutting Washington’s deficit to 106-101, then skipping down the court.

Moments after that, Beal was called for charging, and at the other end, Lowry sank a 3-pointer while falling into the lap of a front-row spectator. That put Toronto back ahead 109-101 with 3 minutes remaining.

Two more baskets by Lowry followed, and Fred VanVleet added a jumper that made it 115-11 with 14.6 seconds to go.

Brooks was sent to the locker room after a contentious sequence with about seven minutes to go.

Moments after Beal argued a call while on defense, he got incensed when he thought Toronto should have been whistled for a foul when Wall tumbled to the court on a drive to the basket. There was no call, though — except a technical foul on Beal.

Then Wall and Brooks got into it with the officials, resulting in Brooks’ ejection. Lowry made two free throws to boost the Raptors’ edge to 102-89.

This was a rematch from the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, when the Raptors were seeded No. 1 and eliminated the No. 8 Wizards in six games.

While Washington largely relies on the same core of players, it so far has not been able to suit up its most significant offseason acquisition, center Dwight Howard, who missed all of training camp and the preseason and has sat out the team’s first two games with a sore backside. Ian Mahinmi started at center and did not exactly distinguish himself, shooting 0 for 3 and accumulating more personal fouls (four) than points (two).

The Raptors, meanwhile, were without Leonard, who helped Toronto start 2-0 by averaging 27.5 points and 11 rebounds in his first two games with the club after arriving in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. But he only played in nine games for San Antonio in 2017-18, missing most because of a quadriceps injury, and so coach Nick Nurse said it was best for his team’s top player to rest during Toronto’s third contest in four nights to open this season.

OG Anunoby started in place of Leonard and contributed 12 points — all in the first half.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Never trailed by more than five points. … Now 15-4 against the Wizards over the last five years. … Toronto has six pairs of back-to-backs this season, one fewer than a year ago, when it went 9-5 in those games.

Wizards: After not taking a single 3-point shot in Game 1 despite being under orders to let it fly from beyond the arc this season, Otto Porter Jr. hoisted three attempts in the first four minutes Saturday. He went 0 for 3 on those, but wound up 2 for 7 on 3s. … Brooks said he didn’t speak to his team at all about having lost its playoff series against Toronto last season. “I have not mentioned it one time to the guys,” Brooks said. “What does it really mean? I don’t know.”


Raptors: Host Charlotte on Monday.

Wizards: At Portland on Monday, opening a five-game road trip against Western Conference teams.

source: sports.inquirer.net

LeBroom: James, Cavs sweep Raptors to make conference finals

CLEVELAND — LeBron James sent Toronto into summer vacation for the third straight season as the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a series sweep of the Raptors with a 128-93 win in Game 4 on Monday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

James finished with 29 points, 11 assists and spent some of the final 7:38 dancing near the bench during Cleveland’s 10th straight playoff win over Toronto, which changed its system, its roster and its approach but still can’t beat the game’s best player.

Kevin Love added 23 points and J.R. Smith 15 for the Cavs, who can now rest while waiting for the Boston-Philadelphia semifinal series to end.

Jonas Valanciunas scored 18 and Kyle Lowry had 10 assists to lead the exasperated Raptors. Toronto’s frustration hit its peak late in the third when All-Star DeMar DeRozan was ejected for a flagrant foul.

Cleveland will be appearing in its fourth straight conference final despite a turbulent regular season and a bumpy start to the playoffs. The Cavs needed seven games to get past Indiana before tormenting Toronto — again.

James arrived at Quicken Loans Arena three hours before tip-off wearing a baseball cap that said: “Don’t Trip.” If the message was directed at his teammates, they got it.

The Cavs didn’t stumble and had one of their best all-around games of these playoffs after so many tight ones. They won Games 1 and 3 over Toronto by a combined three points, needing a buzzer-beater to outlast the Raptors on Saturday night.

There was no need for such heroics and for a change, James, who came in averaging 41.7 minutes per game in the postseason, had plenty of help. All five Cleveland starters scored in double figures and Love continued his spring rebirth after struggling against the physical Pacers.

The contributions from Cleveland’s supporting cast came two days after “Saturday Night Live” poked fun at the team in a skit entitled “The Other Cavaliers,” which didn’t air but went viral on social media.

Cleveland took control with a 12-0 run over the final 2:12 of the first half. The Cavs didn’t let up, pushing their lead to 30 as their fans finally got a chance to relax and start making plans for the next round.

After James dropped a fadeaway baseline jumper to give Cleveland a 27-point lead, the 33-year-old stared at Toronto’s bench as he ran back on defense.

The Raptors must see him in their dreams.

It’s back to the drawing board for Toronto. The Raptors had the league’s second-best record, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, a deeper bench and in Lowry and DeRozan enough firepower to offset James.

But after blowing a big lead and giving away Game 1 on their home floor, the Raptors never recovered and now face an offseason full of questions and second-guessing.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey, looking for a spark to save the season — and maybe his Job — switched starting lineups for the second straight game. He gave C.J. Miles his first start and put Serge Ibaka back with the first five after using him in a reserve role in Game 3.

But Miles picked up two quick fouls and the Cavs’ offense was in gear from the start as Cleveland opened 12 of 15 from the floor while building a 26-17 lead.

COACHING CHANGE

Lue was shocked to learn of coach Stan Van Gundy’s firing in Detroit. Lue played for Van Gundy in Orlando and has always respected his basketball IQ.

“He’s emotional because he’s into the game,” said Lue, who added Van Gundy supported him during his health absence. “He loves the game that much. But as far as Xs and Os, understanding different teams, different schemes, his players, he’s one of the best as far as knowing the basketball game and what it takes.”

And as rumors swirl about Casey’s future, Lue said Toronto would be foolish to do anything rash.

“It would be absurd to make a move like that,” he said.

TIP-INS

Raptors: DeRozan was tossed after hitting G Jordan Clarkson in the head on a layup. DeRozan finished with 13 points after sitting out the fourth quarter in Game 3. … Fell to 0-7 in playoff games in Cleveland. … Didn’t lose three straight during the regular season, then lost four in a row to the Cavs.

Cavaliers: Improved to 10-0 in Game 4 closeouts. … Won their 15th straight second-round game dating to the 2015 playoffs. … James entered Game 4 with 348 points in these playoffs, the most through 10 games by any player since Michael Jordan (354) in 1992. … Love became the fourth player in Cleveland history with 500 career playoff rebounds, joining James, Thompson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Await Sixers-Celtics winner.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA asks Raptors to tell rapper Drake to tone it down

TORONTO — The NBA has asked the Toronto Raptors to tell rapper Drake to avoid a repeat of his verbal exchanges with Cleveland’s Kendrick Perkins during Game 1 of Toronto’s second-round series against the Cavaliers.

Drake, who has been Toronto’s global ambassador since 2013, occasionally sits in a courtside seat adjacent to Toronto’s bench and trades barbs with visiting players.

Perkins took exception to Drake’s comments as the teams were leaving the court at the end of the first half Tuesday. The pair traded angry words again following Cleveland’s 113-112 overtime win.

According to the NBA’s Fan Code of Conduct, the league is “committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable sports & entertainment experience.”

The Raptors hosted Game 2 on Thursday. A day earlier, Toronto coach Dwane Casey said he had no issue with Drake’s antics, saying he wished all Raptors fans had the same passion as the three-time Grammy winner.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Encore: LeBron, Cavs put down Raptors again

CLEVELAND — Once his layup dropped, LeBron James sent another message.

As Cleveland’s crowd cheered following his artistic shot, James walked within a few feet of Toronto’s bench, pounded his chest several times and screamed, “I’m still a problem!”

The Raptors didn’t need any reminders.

James scored 27 points, the last coming on a sensational layup, and the Cavaliers continued to gain momentum with the playoffs quickly approaching by beating Toronto 112-106 on Tuesday night.

James added nine rebounds and six assists as the Cavs posted their second win in two weeks over the Eastern Conference’s top team, whose lead over second-place Boston remains at two games. This time, the Cavaliers were much healthier than when they beat the Raptors on March 21 despite missing five rotational players and coach Tyronn Lue.

Jose Calderon added 19 points and Kevin Love 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Cavs, who are 9-1 since March 17 despite not having all their pieces.

James still isn’t sure what the postseason may bring for Cleveland, which has eliminated Toronto in each of the past two postseasons.

“We don’t know what we can become,” James said. “We have no idea. But right now we’re playing good ball and we want to try to continue that. But we don’t know what we can become. We have not been whole all year.”

DeMar DeRozan scored 19 and Jonas Valanciunas 17 for Toronto, which will host Boston on Wednesday. The Raptors didn’t quit and scored eight points in 34 seconds before the Cavs put it away with four free throws. Kyle Lowry scored only 5 on 2-of-11 shooting.

The Raptors are just 3-5 since winning 11 straight from Feb. 26-March 16.

“Right now we’ve got to find our rhythm on both ends of the floor, whether it’s offense or defense,” coach Dwane Casey said. “That’s slip-sided away on us. We’ve got to get that back. We’ve got five games to go. We’ve played some of the best teams in the league, but we’ve got to find our identity and get back to being who we are. We’ve got a locker room full of fighters.

“We’ve bounced back the entire year. I have total confidence in those guys that they’re going to scratch their way out of it as we go into the playoffs.”

The Cavaliers still aren’t at full strength. Starting point guard George Hill missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle and Lue was in attendance but only in an advisory role as he remains on medical leave.

Cleveland’s ball movement was excellent in the second quarter and so was its accuracy.

The Cavs made their first five 3-pointers — in less than four minutes — and opened a 16-point lead. Love dropped three of the 3s with the others by Rodney Hood and Calderon, who made his first six field-goal attempts and scored 14 in the opening half.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Lowry attended Monday night’s NCAA title game in San Antonio and the proud Villanova alum wore a championship cap to Tuesday’s shootaround. He refused to blame his performance on his social activities. “I’m still a professional,” said Lowry, who is 6 of 24 in his past two games. “I just missed shots. I got back in time. I didn’t miss nothing. I just missed some shots.” … Remain one win shy of matching the franchise record of 56 wins set in 2015-16. …

Cavaliers: James passed Kobe Bryant with his 942nd 20-point game, third most in league history. … Won their seventh straight home game. … Kyle Korver played for the first time since March 19. He was excused to be with family following the death of his 27-year-old brother.

PERFECT SEASON

James has never played in every game in a season, coming closest in 2008-09, when he played in 81 before sitting out the finale to rest for the playoffs.

He’s started all 78 this season — his 15th in the NBA — but insists 82 for 82 is not a goal.

“My plan is to play one game at a time and see how I feel after that game,” he said. “I didn’t come into the season, saying, ‘OK, we’re going to play 82 games this season,’ but my plan is to be as healthy as I can, work on my body, train my body every day to be available for my teammates every game.”

LUE CLOSE

There’s still no definite return date for Lue. But acting coach Larry Drew, who has gone 8-1 while filling in for his boss since March 19, doesn’t expect there to be any “feeling out” period when Lue comes back.

“I can see that the guys have already embraced him,” Drew said. “So it’s just a matter of him being more hands on now once he does get back. From what I’ve seen, it looks like everybody has rolled their sleeves up and just waiting for the day he comes back so they can get to work.”

UP NEXT

Raptors: Host Boston on Wednesday.

Cavaliers: Host Washington on Thursday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Raptors overcome Harden’s 40, end Rockets’ win streak at 17 games

TORONTO — Kyle Lowry scored 30 points, DeMar DeRozan had 23 and the Toronto Raptors beat Houston 108-105 on Friday night, snapping the Rockets’ 17-game winning streak.

James Harden scored 40 points but the Rockets lost for the first time since Jan. 27 at New Orleans.

Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Raptors won their seventh straight in a matchup between the respective conference leaders.

The Rockets shot 9 for 27 from 3-point range, matching their fewest made 3-pointers of the season.

Clint Capela had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets. Chris Paul and Eric Gordon each scored 14 points, and Trevor Ariza had 13 as Houston’s road winning streak ended at 10.

Houston tied it at 102 on Harden’s 3 with 2:10 remaining, but DeRozan restored Toronto’s lead with a jump shot with 1:49 left.

Paul missed a go-ahead 3 with 14 seconds to play, then fouled Lowry in the scramble for the rebound. Lowry made both, giving the Raptors a 106-102 lead with 10 seconds to go.

Gordon answered with a 3, making it a one-point game. Houston fouled Valanciunas, who made a pair to put Toronto up by 3 with 5.4 seconds to go.

Harden got the final shot but his deep 3 from the edge of the center court circle went short, giving the Raptors the win.

Lowry connected on his first five shots and scored 13 points in the opening quarter as Toronto led 32-16. The Rockets missed eight of their first 10 field goal attempts and shot 6 for 21 in the first, missing all five 3-point attempts. It was Houston’s lowest-scoring first quarter of the season and just the second time they’ve failed to score at least 20 points in the first.

Harden scored nine points in the second but the Rockets continued to struggle from long range, making one of four 3-point shots. DeRozan had seven points for the Raptors, who led 58-43 at halftime.

Houston’s only lower-scoring first half this season was a 39-point effort in a Feb. 26 win at Utah.

The Rockets were 1 for 12 from 3-point range before Harden drained back-to-back shots with 2:48 left in the third. Harden scored 14 in the third, overcoming nine points from Lowry, as Houston cut the deficit to 83-75 after three.

TIP-INS

Rockets: F Ryan Anderson (left hip) missed his sixth straight game. … Joe Johnson returned after missing the previous two games because of an illness. … The Rockets had 62 points in the paint.

Raptors: Forward OG Anunoby (sprained right ankle) missed his fourth straight game. … G Delon Wright (sprained right big toe) was unavailable after leaving Wednesday’s win at Detroit. Wright initially suffered the injury in Tuesday’s home win over Atlanta.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Visit Dallas on Sunday. Houston has won seven straight in the series, its third-longest streak all-time.

Raptors: Visit New York on Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Raptors clinch playoff spot with OT win

DETROIT — In the final seconds of both regulation and overtime, DeMar DeRozan pushed the ball up the court and went straight toward the basket.

The first time, he threw down a dunk for the game’s most spectacular highlight. Then a few minutes later, DeRozan had the ball in his hands again in a similar spot.

“I knew they would be more prone to collapse on me the next time,” the Toronto star said.

With Detroit’s defenders cutting off his path to the rim, DeRozan made a simple pass to Fred VanVleet, whose tiebreaking jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining gave the Raptors a 121-119 victory over the Pistons on Wednesday night.

DeRozan finished with 42 points in the overtime win, and Toronto became the first NBA team to clinch a playoff berth this season.

“We need to be hardened and face some adversity,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “Tonight was one of those tests. I think each game we go into, everybody’s going to give us their best shot.”

Toronto trailed by 17 in the second quarter but was able to outlast Blake Griffin and the Pistons in a back-and-forth thriller. With the score tied late in overtime, Detroit’s Reggie Bullock missed an open 3-pointer with about five seconds left on the shot clock. The rebound went to DeRozan, who rushed into the frontcourt and got into the lane, where a couple defenders stood in his way. He passed to VanVleet in the left corner.

Until then, VanVleet was 1 for 9 from the field, but his shot from just inside the 3-point line gave Toronto the lead.

“To win the game at the end there makes me be able to sleep a little bit better at night,” VanVleet said.

Griffin, who had tied the game with less than a second remaining in regulation, missed a 3-pointer on the final possession of overtime.

The Eastern Conference-leading Raptors have won six straight and 13 of 14. Detroit has lost four in a row and 10 of 12.

Toronto’s Serge Ibaka was ejected in the second quarter.

After Griffin’s three-point play put Detroit ahead 112-111 with 10.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Toronto was out of timeouts. But the Pistons lost DeRozan near midcourt, and he went all the way in for a dunk with 4.6 seconds left, drawing a foul in the process.

“We didn’t do what we were supposed to do. I’m not going any further than that,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I’m not going to throw someone under the bus, but we didn’t do what we were supposed to do.”

DeRozan cut a finger, but he made the free throw to put the Raptors up by two. Griffin scored inside with 0.9 seconds left to tie it.

TIP-INS

Raptors: G Deion Wright left the game with a sprained big toe on his right foot, and F OG Anunoby was out with a sprained right ankle. … Toronto trailed 59-45 at halftime before outscoring Detroit 40-25 in the third quarter.

Pistons: F Stanley Johnson missed the game because of back spasms.

STANDINGS

Toronto leads Boston by 2 ½ games atop the East. Detroit is now five games out of the final playoff spot in the conference.

SPLIT CROWD

With Detroit located right on the border with Canada, there were plenty of Toronto fans on hand, and chants of “Let’s go Raptors!” broke out periodically.

ERRORS

There were three turnovers in the final second of regulation. After Griffin’s tying bank shot, the Raptors’ inbound pass went out of bounds off a Toronto player around midcourt with 0.3 seconds to play. Then Griffin’s long pass toward the basket went out without touching anyone, giving the ball back to the Raptors.

They tried a similar long pass, but the same thing happened.

“Neither one of us had timeouts,” Casey said. “Just kind of trying to give it back to each other.”

UP NEXT

Raptors: Host the NBA-leading Houston Rockets on Friday night.

Pistons: Host the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Raptors suspend Ibaka after incident with team staff member

The Toronto Raptors didn’t miss a beat without suspended Spanish power forward Serge Ibaka on Friday as 25 points from DeMar DeRozan powered them to a 111-98 NBA victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

The Raptors improved to 13-1 on their home court this season.

They took a 19-point lead into the fourth quarter but the Hawks narrowed the gap to 13 points on a three-pointer from Tyler Cavanaugh with 8:30 to play.

The Hawks twice trimmed the deficit to nine in the final minute and a half, but the Raptors held on.

Kyle Lowry scored 12 points and handed out five assists for Toronto. Jonas Valanciunas scored 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for the Raptors, who announced before the game that they had suspended Spanish power forward Serge Ibaka for the contest after he was involved in an altercation with a team staff member.

The Raptors said Ibaka violated team rules in the incident, which took place after the Raptors’ 124-107 loss at Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

“Both parties have apologized. We’ve discussed this internally as a team, and we won’t be discussing it any further,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said.

“Now we’re focused on moving forward together, and we look forward to having Serge back in the lineup.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Stalked: LeBron puts up magical performance with new kicks

Stalked: LeBron puts up magical performance with new kicks

LeBron James went total monster against the Toronto Raptors again Friday night at Air Canada Center as he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 115-94 victory and a 3-0 series lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal tussle.

The King put up eye-popping numbers again, churning out 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to dust off the Raptors at their home court.

Even more noteworthy was a highlight play late in the fourth when he maneuvered past his defender with a soul-crushing spin move and then put up a lefty jumper from 15 feet to out the frosting on the victory.

Also garnering attention? Eagle-eyed fans managed to catch a glimpse of Lebron James’ kicks in Game 3 and noticed it wasn’t something he’d laced up before.

Must’ve been some magic or mystical powers in ’em shoes. — Francis T.J. Ochoa

source: sports.inquirer.net

LeBron scores 39, Cavaliers rout Raptors in Game 2

CLEVELAND — LeBron James scored 39 points, hopped Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the career playoff scoring list and pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 125-103 blowout over the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time).

Just like a year ago in the conference finals, the Cavs are up 2-0 on the Raptors, who had better figure some things out or this series will be over quickly. Toronto was blown out for the fifth straight time in Cleveland in the playoffs, losing each by an average of 24.2 points.

Game 3 is Friday night at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, where the Raptors will have the crowd on their side.

However, they won’t have James, who has won a road game in 27 consecutive series and appears determined to toss Toronto aside. He finished 10 of 14 from the field.

Kyrie Irving had 22 points and 11 assists and Channing Frye scored 18 points for the reigning champions, who are 6-0 so far defending their title. Cleveland is 9-0 since losing Game 4 of last year’s NBA Finals.

The Raptors didn’t start Jonas Valanciunas, but he led them with 23 points. Toronto only got five points from All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who didn’t make his first field goal until the first minute of the fourth quarter.

Of bigger concern might be the status of guard Kyle Lowry, who sprained his left ankle in the third quarter. Lowry spent the fourth quarter in the locker room icing his ankle.

James came in needing 25 points to pass Abdul-Jabbar, and he overtook the Hall of Fame center with a 3-pointer in the third quarter, when he scored 17 points and helped the Cavs open a 26-point lead. James now only trails Michael Jordan (5,987), the player to whom he has been compared since he was a teenager, for the most points in postseason history.

James is also trying to match Jordan’s six titles. He’s halfway there, and the way the Cavs are playing, he could have No. 4 before long.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey promised the Raptors “would be a different team tonight coming out.” He meant in terms of energy, but Casey also started a smaller lineup, benching the 7-foot Valanciunas and forward DeMarre Carroll in favor of guard Norman Powell and forward Patrick Patterson. He also moved Serge Ibaka from power forward to center.

The moves were intended to give Toronto more ball handlers and open the floor on offense.

They didn’t work simply because the Raptors couldn’t contain James.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Cavaliers down Raptors in second-round playoff opener

WASHINGTON, United States — LeBron James scored 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on Monday, leading the reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers over Toronto 116-105 in the opener of their second-round playoff series.

Kyrie Irving added 24 points and 10 assists while Kevin Love had 18 points and nine rebounds as the Cavaliers seized the edge in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference matchup with game two set for Wednesday.

The Cleveland-Toronto winner next faces Washington or Boston, which leads that series 1-0 entering Tuesday’s second game.

Houston visits San Antonio later Monday to open their Western Conference matchup. The winner will face either Utah or Golden State, who begin their second-round series Tuesday.

James hit 13-of-23 shots from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free throw line while Tristan Thompson contributed 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers, whom James warned will be even better next time out.

“I feel like I’ll be a lot better on Wednesday,” James said, citing an eight-day layoff since completing a first-round sweep.

“Little bit of rhythm here and conditioning there, I think a lot of our mistakes we were able to cover up for because our energy level was high.

“It’s the feel out game so we’ll break down the film and we’ll be much better Wednesday.”

The Cavaliers scored 10 consecutive points to grab a 22-11 edge, stretched it to 38-20 early in the second quarter and led 62-48 at half-time. They led by as much as 25 points on the way to victory.

Irving scored 16 first-half points while James had 13 and Love 11.

“We want to continue to move the ball, share the ball and make everybody feel comfortable with what we’re trying to do,” James said.

The Raptors, who fell to 1-12 in playoff series openers, were led by 20 points from Kyle Lowry and 19 from DeMar DeRozan. CBB

source: sports.inquirer.net

Powell carries Raptors past Bucks for 3-2 series lead

TORONTO — Norm Powell scored a career playoff-high 25 points, Kyle Lowry had 16 points and 10 assists and the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 118-93 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Monday (Tuesday Manila time).

Serge Ibaka scored 19 points and DeMar DeRozan had 18 for the Raptors, who can advance to face defending champion Cleveland in the second round with a victory in Game 6 at Milwaukee on Thursday night.

Many in the sellout crowd of 20,251 rose to their feet and chanted ‘Raps in six’ in the final minute of the game.

Toronto lost Game 6 on the road at Indiana in the first round and at Miami in the second round last year, rebounding to win Game 7 at home each time. They were eliminated in six games in the Eastern Conference Final against the Cavs, losing at home in the clincher.

DeMarre Carroll scored 12 points as all five Raptors starters reached double figures. Cory Joseph had 10 points off the bench for Toronto.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points and nine rebounds while Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points and Greg Monroe had 11. Milwaukee has lost back-to-back games after routing Toronto 104-77 in Game 3.

Making his second straight start, Powell connected on all four of his 3-point attempts and went 5 for 5 at the free-throw line. He brought the crowd to its feet with a baseline dunk over Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker in the fourth quarter.

Ibaka and Powell each scored nine points in the first and the Raptors used a 17-0 run to open a 31-20 lead after the opening quarter. Milwaukee committed five turnovers in the first, leading to 10 points for Toronto.

After shooting 1 for 6 in the first, Antetokounmpo was a perfect 6 for 6 in the second, scoring 13 points to help the Bucks close the gap. Lowry had 12 for Toronto, which led 57-48 at halftime.

Powell scored 12 points in the third as the Raptors widened their lead again, taking a 90-73 edge into the final quarter.

Monroe and Jonas Valanciunas were called for double technicals after a minor shoving match under the Milwaukee basket in the third. After Valanciunas took exception to a hard foul from Khris Middleton, Monroe pushed his own teammate out of the way so he could shove Valanciunas.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Guarding Bucks’ Giannis presents Raptors a playoff puzzle

MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo presents a defensive conundrum for the Toronto Raptors.

Assign a shorter player on the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks star can take advantage on the block. Put a taller player on him and the athletic Antetokounmpo might blow past him to the hoop.

Antetokounmpo is a highlight-reel regular for dunks in transition. He can make opponents pay for double-teams, too.

The Raptors need to figure this problem out beginning Saturday, when the Bucks visit the Air Canada Centre to open a first-round series in the NBA playoffs.

“It’s not going to be a one-man job. It’s going to be a team effort to guard him,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “But him in transition, it’s not a dream, it’s a nightmare.”

Antetokounmpo blossomed into an All-Star in his first full season since coach Jason Kidd made him a primary ball-handler. He became the first player in NBA history to finish a season in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. He’s just the fifth player in league history to lead a team in every statistical category for a season, according to the Bucks.

With 42 wins, the Bucks finished above .500 for the first time since 2009-10. Now, they’d like to advance past the first round for the first time since going to the conference finals in 2001 with Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson leading the way.

By comparison, Raptors are grizzled veterans with four straight postseason trips. They lost to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals last season in six games.

“People don’t expect us to beat the Raptors,” Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “We’re going in with that underdog mentality to prove people wrong. We’ve been proving people wrong up to this point and we’re going to continue to do so.”

Antetokounmpo’s emergence is a big reason why the Bucks are back in the postseason for the second time in three seasons. Six-foot-8 forward DeMarre Carroll will likely draw the first turn defending him, with 6-foot-6 forward P.J. Tucker also taking the assignment. The Raptors might also use a zone, Casey said Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo averaged 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists in four games this year against Toronto.

“We’ve got to bait him to shoot more jumpers,” Carroll said. “I think a thousand of his shot attempts have been layups … but he’s also deadly distributing the ball and getting others involved.”

Other notes and things to watch in the series:

GETTING DEFENSIVE

Raptors president Masai Ujiri thinks the team’s defense is better than last year, aided by the addition of 6-foot-10 forward Serge Ibaka. Carroll, Tucker and the 6-9 Patrick Patterson also give Toronto versatile defenders who might be able to match up with Antetokounmpo and 6-foot-11 center Greg Monroe, who can hit jumpers and maneuver deftly in the paint.

YOUNG BUT MORE EXPERIENCED

The Bucks have one of the youngest cores in the league, but they did add some playoff experience to their roster by adding Tony Snell (Bulls), Matthew Dellavedova (Cavaliers) and Mirza Teletovic (Nets) in the offseason. Jason Terry, a 17-year veteran, provides leadership and 3-point shooting off the bench.

GUARDING THE GUARDS

Toronto’s Kyle Lowry (22.4 points, 7.0 assists) and DeMar DeRozan (27.3 points) form one of the toughest backcourts in the NBA. The 6-foot-7 Snell will draw the 6-7 DeRozan on defense. Brogdon, a rookie, will be tested by Lowry at point guard.

TORONTO BUG

Tucker was sent home from practice on Friday after showing signs of a bug that also affected DeRozan, Lowry and Casey this week. DeRozan sat out the season finale at Cleveland. The illness doesn’t appear serious, with Tucker expected to play Saturday.

DOWN THE STRETCH
Mired at six games under .500 going into March, the Bucks went 16-8 over the last six weeks of the season to get into the playoffs. They hope the success under postseason-like intensity carries over into the Raptors series.

“For those (six) weeks were in must-win games,” forward Khris Middleton said Friday. “That’s what the playoffs are all about, taking one game at a time, one possession at a time.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Raptors to file protest over controversial loss to Kings

The Toronto Raptors believe they were a victim of unjust officiating, and they are letting the league know about it.

The Canada-based franchise is submitting a formal protest against the league’s decision to waive a supposed game-tying basket at the buzzer by Terrence Ross, against the Sacramento Kings on Monday.

The three-pointer was initially counted, but upon further contemplation by the NBA’s Replay Center in New Jersey, the game clock started late, since opposing player DeMarcus Cousins managed to deflect the ball on the inbound pass.

According to the team, the 25-year-old was under the assumption that he had 2.4 seconds to get a shot in. However, the review showed it took him 2.5 seconds, therefore making his basket void.

Did the @Raptors get robbed of a game-tying 3? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/pAmRQKbuDt

— theScore (@theScore) November 21, 2016

Due to the circumstances, the Raptors are filing two protests under two grounds, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.

First, the team claims that the Replay Center based its judgment on a frame-by-frame video, which it said did not accurately reflect the human element of a timekeeper starting the clock.

Also, Ross made his move by gauging the in-arena clock. Any accuracies on behalf of management or officials shouldn’t penalize their player, who would have altered his shot knowing the correct time.

As of this writing, the NBA has yet to release a statement regarding the controversial incident.  Khristian Ibarrola

source: sports.inquirer.net