The Toronto Raptors put up a valiant fight against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals… until the fourth quarter.
Missing All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan really stepped up for the Raptors, scoring a game-high 37 points – a much-needed boost from his 5-point performance in Game 2.
All but one of his 37 points came in the first three quarters.
Heading into the fourth, it was a 79-77 game in favor of Cleveland.
The Cavs proceeded to outscore the Raptors, 36-17, over the final 12 minutes of play.
LeBron James finished with 35 points, hitting 15-of-16 free throws. He shot 67 percent from the line this season.
James has taken his game to another level since Game 3 of the first round series with the Pacers, where he led a 26-point comeback with the second unit on the floor and posted a triple-double with 41 points.
In his last five games, LeBron is averaging 36.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, shooting 15-for-30 from 3-point range, 74 percent at the free throw line and 56 percent from the field.
LeBron also became the first player in NBA history with 240+ points, 50+ rebounds, and 50+ assists in first the first seven games of a Playoff year.
Compared to years passed, LeBron is not easing his way into this postseason and has stepped on the gas pedal from Day One.
If the Cavs are able to complete the sweep Sunday, LeBron and company could earn themselves another week off between games, which could obviously help the team stay fresh for the round(s) to come.
One area this team will need to address going forward is its defensive strategy.
The Cavs have been playing great defense compared to the regular season and a lot of the reason for that is a heavy dose of trapping the opponents’ leading scorers – DeRozan, Lowry, and Paul George in the first round.
That strategy may work against teams with one or even two elite scorers. It might continue to work against the Boston Celtics or Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference Finals.
But when Cleveland runs into Golden State – or Houston/San Antonio – all of those teams have a multitude of scorers and can attack in different ways.
For three quarters, Toronto actually found a way to work around Cleveland’s traps, but in the end, the Cavs shut DeRozan down for the final 12 minutes and that ended up being the ballgame.
When it comes time to dealing with Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, it’s going to take more than that.
Also, a team like Houston, which absolutely thrives on draining three’s at a high volume off of James Harden kickouts, could feast against that kind of defense.
Obviously there’s quite a bit of basketball to be played, but sooner rather than later, this defense is going to have to step up in more ways than just locking up the opposing team’s best scorer.
All things considered, the Cavs are up 3-0, and that’s without receiving outstanding play from Kyrie Irving (7-for-21 in Game 3) and largely on the back of LeBron.
It was nice to see a 14-point performance from Kyle Korver, who’s been quiet for most of the Playoffs, and Kevin Love delivered a reliable double-double with 16 points and 13 boards.
Different players in the second unit have had their moments in these first seven games of the postseason and it was an area that was a big concern heading into the Playoffs. So far, it appears those concerns and many others regarding this team have been erased.
We’ll see what happens in Game 4 Sunday afternoon at 3:30 pm.
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