The Sports Xchange
Apr 12, 2017
CLEVELAND -- The Toronto Raptors finally won a game against the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, with an eye toward four more in the playoffs.
Norman Powell led all scorers with 25 points, and the Raptors pounded the Cavs 98-83 in the final game of the regular season.
Cleveland, which knocked Toronto out of the conference finals last season, lost its last four games and will be the No. 2 seed entering the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Raptors are the third seed; if both teams win their opening series, they would meet in the conference semifinals.
The Cavs were without LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. The Raptors rested DeMar DeRozan and Serge Ibaka. Cleveland needed to win and have the Celtics lose to Milwaukee to claim the No. 1 seed.
Cleveland and Toronto finished with identical 51-31 records, but the Cavs won the first three games of the season series, which is the tiebreaker.
Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas each scored 13 points for the Raptors.
Iman Shumpert was the Cavs' leading scorer with 11 points. Tristan Thompson returned after missing the previous four games with a sprained right thumb and scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds in the first half.
NOTES: Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas connected on his first 3-pointer this season, with 5:18 left in the second quarter. ... Cavs F Richard Jefferson nailed a 3-pointer with 10:57 left in the second quarter, breaking a 46:08 personal scoreless streak. ... Cavs G Dahntay Jones and C Walter Tavares, both signed Wednesday, saw action. Tavares, who spent most of the year in the D-League, scored six points and added 10 rebounds and six blocks. Jones, cut by the Cavs in training camp, scored nine points, all in the fourth quarter. ... Cavs rookie G Kay Felder (left ankle sprain) didn't play on a night when he otherwise would have been out there. He was injured Monday against the Heat.