TORONTO – With his running mate DeMar DeRozan under the weather, Kyle Lowry decided to make up for the both of them.
The Raptors guard poured in a career-high 43 points, including a jump shot with four seconds on the clock, to lift Toronto to a 99-97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, in a thrilling battle between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.
The No. 2 Raptors (39-18) clinched the season series against the top-ranked Cavs (41-16).
Terrence Ross added 15 points. Jonas Valanciunas, who took a hard elbow to the ribs from James and spent part of the third quarter being examined in the locker-room, finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. Bismack Biyombo chipped in with 11 points.
DeRozan’s 500th game was one to forget. The Raptors’ top scorer, battling flu-like symptoms all night, had just six points on 1-for-11 shooting.
LeBron James led the Cavs with 25 points. Tristan Thompson of Brampton, Ont., had a game-high 10 rebounds.
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