Raptors Even Series With Cavaliers

Don’t let anyone tell you that Monday night’s 105-99 victory by the Toronto Raptors over the Cleveland Cavaliers was a great game. Because it wasn’t.

The Cavaliers shot poorly and looked befuddled on offense for three quarters and trailed by as many as 18 points. The Raptors moved and cut and passed and kept the Cavs from getting any easy points in the paint.

The fourth quarter? Now that was a great quarter. The Cavaliers forced Toronto big man Bismack Biyombo to rotate outside to guard sharp-shooter Channing Frye and other options opened up, many of them thanks to Richard Jefferson off the bench. The Cavaliers hit their first 11 shots of the fourth quarter, took the lead and nearly stole the game.

The Raptors, however, finished with an 11-3 spurt and Kyle Lowry’s blow-by layup in the final minute essentially ensured that the Raptors would win and tie this series at two games apiece (it’s best of seven). After two lopsided losses in Cleveland, they’re even. Lowry scored 35 points and DeMar Derozan had 32 – Cleveland didn’t have answers for these guards. They combined for 21 points in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers have now lost consecutive games in an Eastern Conference playoff series for the first time since 2010 and two in a row after a 10-0 start to these playoffs.

“Going back home we have to play a lot better and I think we will,” LeBron James said.

Game 5 is Wednesday night. We will see if the balance of power has shifted in the east.

Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman