Cavaliers beat Raptors 109-102 to earn sweep and head to conference finals

Through the first three games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals (and the first three quarters of Game 4) the Raptors had more than their hands full with LeBron James. Once Kyrie Irving got rolling, it was lights out in Canada.

Toronto played its best game of the series – taking a double-digit lead early and overcoming a double-digit deficit late – but in the end, the Wine and Gold send the Raptors packing for the second straight season – taking the 109-102 decision to complete the sweep.

In the process, the Cavaliers became the first team in NBA history to win its first eight games of the postseason in consecutive years. They’ll now make their third straight trip to the Conference Finals – awaiting the winner of the Boston-Washington series that’s deadlocked at two games apiece.

Facing elimination, and without the services of the All-Star point guard, Kyle Lowery – sidelined with a left ankle sprain for the second straight game – the Raptors came out aggressive and took a 21-10 lead late in the first quarter.

But Cleveland stormed back in the second – taking a two-touchdown lead just before intermission. The Cavs upped their advantage to 16 early in the third and it looked like the Raptors were ready to call it a season.

Instead, led by Serge Ibaka and DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors clawed their way back into the ballgame and eventually took a one-point lead, 93-92, with 6:38 to play in the fourth.

But Kyrie took over from there, scoring 11 straight Cavalier points to put Cleveland up eight, 103-95, and LeBron canned a triple to put the Cavs up double-figures – putting the game ice and sending the Raptors packing.

“Just understanding the magnitude of the game, what was at stake, a lot of our offense was on Bron’s shoulders,” said Irving, of his fourth-quarter tear. “He had been playing, I think, at least 16 straight or 18 straight minutes, and it was winning time for the both of us. We understood that.”

For a team that was being second-guessed over the final month of the regular season, the Cavaliers have now won 11 straight postseason contests. They haven’t lost since Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals.

LeBron led everyone with 35 points – his 91st career Playoff game topping the 30-point mark, seventh in eight postseason contests this year – going an even 11-for-22 from the floor, including 5-of-12 from deep and 8-of-9 from the stripe. The four-time MVP added a team-high nine boards, six assists and a blocked shot.

Kyrie came into Game 4 having struggled through the first three games of the series – shooting just 36 percent from the floor – and wasn’t faring much better on Sunday afternoon – going 7-for-19 through the first three-and-a-half quarters.

But he earned his sobriquet – “Mr. Fourth Quarter” – in the final minutes, and went on to finish with 27 points, going 10-for-22 from the floor overall, adding five boards and leading the Cavaliers with nine assists and four steals.

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