(Toronto) Darius Garland scored 21 points, including the decisive point in free throws with 4.8 seconds left, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Raptors 102-101 on Friday to end the five-game winning streak from Toronto.
OG Anunoby was the Raptors’ most prolific scorer (6-4) with 23 points, while Fred VanVleet finished the night with 18 points. Gary Trent Jr. had 17, and Scottie Barnes, back after missing two games with a sprained right thumb, finished with 14 points. Dalano Banton contributed with 11 points.
Returning to Scotiabank Arena after a perfect 3-0 away run, and after their longest winning streak in nearly two seasons, the Raptors did not fall behind until the very end of the game. , while 4.8 seconds remained on the dial.
Toronto built up a 12-point lead in the first half, extending it to 15 in the third quarter, and led 80-74 early in the fourth.
Cleveland (6-4) rallied down the stretch, and Jarrett Allen’s three-point shot with 4:42 remaining tied the game 94-94.
Anunoby pulled off a three-point shot with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter, giving his team a five-point wiggle room, but Allen scored back-to-back baskets to narrow the difference to one point with 42 seconds left.
Anunoby tripped Garland with 4.8 to go. Garland’s pair of free throws gave the Cavaliers the victory.
The Raptors were excellent defensively in the loss, forcing 20 turnovers from Cleveland for 23 points.
Despite this setback, the Raptors’ performance at the start of a rebuilding season is astonishing.
The Raptors won their first four road games for the first time in their history, and their winning streak was the longest in a seven-game streak – the last four before COVID-19 suspended the operation of the NBA, then the first three games in the protected environment in Florida.
Ontarian Kevin Pangos, who wears the Cavaliers uniform, made his first trip to Toronto, but did not play.
Pascal Siakam could finally play his first game of the season next week.
The Raptors star forward is recovering from shoulder surgery he suffered in the offseason, but coach Nick Nurse has said Siakam’s return is imminent.
“He’s getting closer every day,” Nurse said ahead of Friday’s game.
“Everything went pretty well,” he said, adding “that Siakam is where he is supposed to be, or maybe even a little early” in his recovery.
“I imagine maybe next week we’ll see him on the pitch… He’s been training with contact for over a week now. It was all fairly short. The workouts are not long. He trained with the 905 (the Raptors’ school club) as well. ”
The Raptors are not playing Monday and Tuesday and Nurse said there would likely be “long training” at that point which will help assess Siakam’s condition.
The Raptors are in Boston on Wednesday and Philadelphia on Thursday before hosting Detroit on November 13.
Siakam averaged 21.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season for Toronto.
The six-foot-eight winger took part in shooting practice during the warm-up for Friday’s game.