LeBron James, Cavaliers take commanding 2-0 series lead over Raptors
CLEVELAND – Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey can tinker with his starting lineup all he wants.
But it doesn’t make a difference when the Cleveland Cavaliers make their first eight three-pointers of the game and LeBron James has 30 points midway through the third quarter as was the case in Cleveland’s 125-103 victory against Toronto in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series.
James finished with 39 points, passing Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for No. 2 on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list. James now has 5,777 career playoff points and likely will pass Hall of Fame Michael Jordan for No. 1 on the list if the Cavs reach the NBA Finals.
Kyrie Irving followed up his first playoff double-double in Game 1 with his second playoff double-double (22 points, 11 assists, a new playoff career-high). Channing Frye added 16 points, 15 coming on three-pointers.
The Cavs shot 54.7% from the field and 54.5% on three-pointers and are in complete control of the series with a 2-0 lead.
Game 3 is Friday in Toronto (7 p.m., ESPN).
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Remember, Cleveland won the first two games against the Raptors in last season's conference finals by a combined 50 points and Toronto won the next two games at home.
The series isn’t over, yet this season has a different feel than a year ago.
Casey and his coaching staff will spend the next two days searching for answers. The Powell-for-Valanciunas lineup change worked against Milwaukee. It didn’t work against the Cavs who are playing at a level the Raptors can’t match. Valanciunas did deliver a team-high 23 points off the bench.
Kyle Lowry had 20 points but was ruled out of the game after rolling his ankle chasing a rebound early in the third quarter.
It didn’t help that Raptors All-Star DeMar DeRozan started 0-for-9 and had just five points. But even if he had scored 20, it may have not made a difference with the way James is playing.
James has channeled his 26-year-old self in this season’s playoffs. You want an efficient performance? James accumulated his 39 points on 10-for-14 shooting, including 4-for-6 on threes, and 15-for-21 from the foul line.
The Cavs led 31-18 late in the first quarter and 62-48 at halftime, the same score after the first two quarters of Game 1. They led 107-77 with 9:21 left in the fourth quarter.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.
