More from Game 4
The Toronto Raptors have the sports world in disbelief after they evened their Eastern Conference final series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night in Toronto.
The near wire-to-wire victory knotted the best-of-seven at 2-2, sending it back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Wednesday.
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 67 points to lead the Raptors to what was arguably their most important win of the season.
#LowryTime
The star Raptors guard hadn't been this good all postseason. Lowry knocked down 35 points with a field goal percentage of 70 over a more than 44 minutes of court time, a team high.
Cleveland good, Toronto better
The Cavaliers trailed all night, but they were able to narrow the deficit to one point thanks to an 8-0 run to begin the fourth quarter. That had Raptors fans on their edges of their seats, but Toronto pushed ahead and held on for the shocking victory.
After beginning the playoffs 10-0, which includes back-to-back series sweeps, the Cavaliers have dropped two in a row, much to the bewilderment of many Cleveland fans and media prognosticators, including the notoriously provocative Stephen A. Smith of ESPN:
C'mon, ref
As it tends to be when the stakes are high, officiating has been front and centre this series. Toronto coach Dwane Casey was fined $25, 000 for comments he made about referees following Game 3. In Game 4, the Raptors had been called for seven fouls before Cleveland was charged with an offence at the 8:56 mark in the second quarter, leading some commentators to call out a bias against the Raptors.
Biyombo again
Jonas Valanciunas, the injured Raptors centre, dressed on Monday but spent the game on the bench. His replacement, Bismack Biyombo, continued to impress in JV's absence.
BEASTmack Biyombo with 40 rebs last two games
— Michael Smith (@michaelsmith) May 24, 2016
Biyombo pulled down 14 rebounds and added five points over more than 40 minutes of playing time to hold the fort in the middle.
Valanciunas appears to be nearing a return, but with Biyombo playing the way he has, the Raptors can rest a little easier than they otherwise might.
Drake re-enters the fray
Elsewhere on the internet…
Cavaliers fans are not happy this series is still going. After a pair of lop-sided victories over their neighbours to the north, Cleveland's play of late has its fan base, and the media, scratching its head.
I'm just sitting in my apartment in silence right now.........#Cavs
— T.J. Marchese (@tommarchese06) May 24, 2016
NH sports front, featuring #Cavs' loss and @FptBaseball pic.twitter.com/U9YyXUIwsB
— Howard Primer (@HowardPrimer) May 24, 2016
#Cavs - I still love you but you appear to be causing me an unnecessary amount of anxiety which in turn is causing a lack of sleep. Fix it.
— Charlene Coughlin (@cacoughlin) May 24, 2016
Your take?
Can the #Raptors take Game 5 from the Cavaliers in Cleveland? #RTZ #NBAPlayoffs #RAPSvsCAVS
— Globe Sports (@Globe_Sports) May 24, 2016
MORE FROM THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
