The Cleveland Cavaliers came back to life with a 116-78 victory, after losing back-to-back games against the Toronto Raptors.
“There’s no place like home.”
That has become the theme of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Raptors, with an 8-2 post-season home record, boast the strongest home-court advantage of any team left in the NBA Playoffs. But they have been the exact opposite on the road.
The Raptors went into Game 5 with momentum after beating the odds to win their last two meetings in the best-of-seven final. But Game 5 was back in Cleveland, where LeBron James and company regained the advantage in the series at 3-2.
Cleveland opened up a 31-point lead at halftime, the biggest halftime lead in conference finals history. The Big Three earned 71 points combined. James and point guard Kyrie Irving turned in 23-point performances while Kevin Love, after struggling through Games 3 and 4, has a series-high 25 points on 8-of-10 from the field.
Another positive sign was the renewed vigor of Tristan Thompson, also a no-show in Toronto, but who notched 9 points and 10 rebounds in Game 5.
Only two Raptors, guards Kyle Lowry with 13 points and DeMar DeRozan with 14, scored in double figures. Center Jonas Valanciunas, who returned after missing eight straight games with a sprained right ankle, made 9 while Bismack Biyombo and Luis Scola chipped in 7 points apiece.
Toronto have a solid chance to bounce back as Game 6 returns to their home-turf, the Air Canada Centre. But if the Cavaliers bring their A-game, the Raptors will have to say goodbye to their dream of grabbing their first NBA Finals in franchise history and the Cavs will have a chance to win the championship they have been waiting for since 1964.
Betting Odds for Game 5
Toronto Raptors +6
Cleveland Cavaliers -6
Odds Courtesy of OddsShark
