(Toronto) Pascal Siakam wasted no time showing what the Toronto Raptors had to do without.
Returning after a 10-game absence, Siakam scored the Raptors’ first points and finished the night with 18 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Toronto squad to a 100-88 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
OG Anunoby scored 20 points, Gary Trent Jr. 14, Fred VanVleet 13, Scottie Barnes 11 and Thaddeus Young 10 for the Raptors (11-9), who benefited from a diverse offense.
Evan Mobley had 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Cavaliers (13-8) while Darius Garland added 18 points.
Siakam’s injury was a blow after his blistering start to the season. Siakam had averaged 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game before being injured in the Nov. 4 matchup in Dallas against the Mavericks.
The Raptors went 5-5 while he was sidelined with an adductor injury.
The 28-year-old picked up where he left off on his comeback, registering eight points and four rebounds in his first time on the court, which lasted seven and a half minutes.