LeBron James scores 35 points, Cavaliers sweep Raptors

The Cavaliers got the brooms out again-and used them.

But Irving had the flawless answer, as after a zero-assist showing in that Game 4 win, he averaged 8.5 assists in a four-game sweep of the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, including two double-digit assist performances.

It was the first playoff sweep for Toronto since the opening round against Washington in 2015.

But to suggest a sound thrashing by a Cleveland Cavaliers team clicking on all cylinders and with a top-of-his-game LeBron James to turn to should alter that thinking in any way is just wrong.

While the Raptors might not want to pay Lowry with a max contract over a long term, they should bring back Ibaka and P.J. Tucker.

James played the entire fourth quarter – but he’ll have plenty of time to rest since the conference finals won’t start before May 15.

Irving responded with a 3 and, following a missed shot by DeRozan, added a pair of free throws to put Cleveland up 97-92 at 5:54. Overtime improbably ended with Boston winning by 10 points.

The Raptors trimmed the lead to one point early in the fourth on a 3-point shot by Fred VanVleet but James answered with a 3-pointer. One of the common arguments stated that, even after adding a player like Paul George or Jimmy Butler, their team still might not be good enough to get past LeBron and the Cavs. After half-time the Wizards scored 26 unanswered points in the third quarter, as the team levelled the series, ahead of the final three matches. He led the sad-sack Raptors out of the sullen Andrea Bargnani era, to places where they had never been.

Five members of the 2008 Boston Celtics championship team- Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins- reunited on Garnett’s Area 21 segment during TNT’s Inside the National Basketball Association last night.

Lowry led the Raptors past Milwaukee in the opening round of the playoffs and was Toronto’s best player in Games 1 and 2 against Cleveland.

There’s been speculation that Hayward could leave Utah to sign with the Boston Celtics. “I’m excited about us getting an opportunity to represent our franchise in the Eastern Conference Finals to go play for the big one”.

“We played inspired basketball for each other”, said Wizards coach Scott Brooks.

The Cavs tied a record for three-point differential in a playoff series.

Guards Eric Gordon (22 points) and Lou Williams combined to score 35 off the bench for Houston, which did lose reserve center Nene to a left groin injury. Korver, who did not play in the first quarter, was 6 of 8 in the second quarter, including his four 3-pointers.

“The 3-point line is definitely deadly now and the more shooters you have on your team, the deadlier you can be”, he said. That unit combined for just 48 points while shooting a combined 18-for-45 from the field. He also nine assists.

The average margin of victory in this year’s second round is 16.47 points, but the total margin is only in the middle of the pack.

Week Off: After sweeping the Indiana Pacers, the Cavs had eight days before they opened the series with the Raptors.

Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, there won’t be a mediocre, good, or really good team waiting for them in the NBA Finals.