Cavaliers 99, Raptors 98: Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 32 points and rattled in the winning 3-pointer with seven-tenths of a second left as visiting Cleveland rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to notch their season-best third consecutive win.
Marreese Speights added 17 points and Tristan Thompson had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who won for the third in their past nine meetings with Toronto.
Amir Johnson collected 18 points and 12 rebounds and Alan Anderson scored 17 for the Raptors, who have lost six of their last eight contests.
The lead changed hands four times in the fourth quarter before Irving gave the Cavaliers the final momentum swing. He walked the ball up the floor and pulled up from well beyond the arc. Alonzo Gee intercepted Jose Calderon's inbounds pass to thwart Toronto's last hope of a buzzer-beater.
The Raptors went up 77-66 on Anderson's driving layup to open the fourth quarter, but the Cavaliers quickly came charging back. Wayne Ellington and Speights combined for 10 straight points to get Cleveland within one, and Thompson's tip-in put the Cavs ahead 80-79 with 8:47 left - their first lead since the first quarter.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cavaliers G Daniel Gibson left in the third quarter with a sprained toe and did not return. Cleveland also was without G C.J. Miles (illness). … The Raptors wore camouflage uniforms as a tribute to the Canadian Forces. Toronto dropped to 1-5 all-time in those uniforms. … Raptors F Ed Davis had 16 points and nine rebounds. He has scored 11 or more points in 10 consecutive games.
Cleveland | Toronto | |
Kyrie Irving 32 | Scoring | Amir Johnson 18 |
Kyrie Irving 5 | Assists | Kyle Lowry 7 |
Tyler Zeller 12 | Rebounds | Amir Johnson 12 |
Alonzo Gee 4 | Free Throws Made | Amir Johnson 4 |
Shaun Livingston 3 | Steals | Alan Anderson 2 |
Tristan Thompson 3 | Blocks | Quincy Acy 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Cleveland | 99 | 47.4 | 6-11 | 19-22 | 12 | 39 | 4 | 8 | 15 |
Toronto | 98 | 48.8 | 5-17 | 13-18 | 22 | 39 | 4 | 6 | 15 |