FINAL SCORE: TORONTO RAPTORS 117, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 97
DATE: DECEMBER 31, 2019 ATTENDANCE: 19,800 (Sellout)
FINAL SCORE RECORD HIGH POINTS HIGH REBOUNDS HIGH ASSISTS Cleveland 97 10-23 Sexton – 22 Love/Thompson – 11 Three Players – 4
Toronto 117 23-11 Lowry – 24 Ibaka – 10 Lowry – 8
KEY RUN
Leading 52-43 with 1:03 left in the second quarter, Toronto ended the half with seven straight points to lead 59-43 at the break … The Raptors outscored Cleveland 32-18 in the second quarter … Kyle Lowry scored 11 of his game-high 24 points in the frame … Toronto led by double digits the entire second half.
KEY STAT
The Raptors shot .476 (40-for-84) from the field, including .436 (17-for-39) from three-point range … Cleveland shot .425 (37-for-87) from the floor and .263 (10-for-38) from beyond the arc.
RAPTORS NOTES: • With the win, Toronto improves to 23-11 this season and 14-5 at home … The Raptors have won two of their last three games (Dec. 28-31) and end the month of December with a 9-7 record.
• Toronto has won five straight games at Scotiabank Arena vs. Cleveland.
• The Raptors have finished with a winning record each of the past 20 calendar months … The streak is the longest in franchise history and the longest current streak in the NBA … The last month in which Toronto did not have a winning record was January 2017 (8–9).
• The Raptors’ bench outscored Cleveland’s reserves 41-25.
• Kyle Lowry led all scorers with 24 points (7-16 FG, 4-12 3PT, 6-6 FT) in 36 minutes … Lowry has scored 20+ points in eight of the last nine games (Dec. 16-31), averaging 24.0 points during this span.
• Serge Ibaka recorded his third straight double-double and seventh of the season with 20 points and a team-high 10 rebounds in 33 minutes … All seven of Ibaka’s double-doubles have come in December.
• Terence Davis ll matched his career high with 19 points (7-12 FG, 4-7 3PT, 1-2 FT) in 25 minutes … Davis ll scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.
• The Raptors had six players score double figures – Lowry (24), Ibaka (20), Davis ll (19), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (14), Fred VanVleet (12) and OG Anunoby (12) … Hollis-Jefferson made his first start as a Raptor … Anunoby came off the bench for the first time this season.
• Rookie Terence Davis ll is the only Raptor not to miss a game this season. • The Raptors are now 4-3 without Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell.
CAVALIERS NOTES:
• With the loss, Cleveland falls to 10-23 on the season and 4-13 on the road … The Cavaliers have lost two of their last three games (Dec. 27-31) and finished the month of December with a 5-9 record.
• All five Cleveland starters scored in double figures, combing for 72 points. • Collin Sexton scored a team-high 22 points (8-15 FG, 1-4 3PT, 5-5 FT) in 32 minutes – his fifth 20-point effort in the last seven games and 11th this season. • The Cavaliers had six players score in double digits – Sexton (22), Cedi Osman (14), Tristan Thompson (14), Kevin Porter Jr. (13), Darius Garland (12) and Kevin Love (10).
RAPTORS NOTES • The Toronto Raptors wave goodbye to 2019 when they welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. This is the second meeting between the two teams this month, with the Raptors taking the first contest 133-113 on Dec. 16. Kyle Lowry finished with 20 points and 11 assists, while Serge Ibaka contributed 14 points off the bench in the victory. Toronto has won four in a row against the Cavaliers at home. Lowry is averaging 20.3 points and 8.3 assists over his last three games vs. Cleveland. Toronto won the season-series against the Cavaliers in 2018-19, taking three of the four games. It was the Raptors first season-series win vs. Cleveland since 2015-2016.
• Kyle Lowry finished with 20 points in Sunday night’s tilt against Oklahoma City. It was the seventh time over the last eight games that Lowry has scored 20+ points. In those eight contests, Lowry is averaging 24.0 points, 8.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 39.6 minutes of play.
• Patrick McCaw has scored in double figures in three of his six games as a starter (Dec. 20-28). McCaw is averaging 9.5 points, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals over this stretch. He is also shooting .450 from three point range (9-for-20) as a starter. In his last two contests, McCaw has posted a .619 field goal percentage (13for-21) and is shooting .556 from behind the arc (5-for-9).
• Serge Ibaka recorded his second straight double-double and sixth of the season with 12 points and a season-high 14 rebounds Sunday night vs. Oklahoma City. All six of Ibaka’s double-doubles have come in December with four occurring over his last six games. Over this span, Ibaka is averaging 16.0 points and 9.3 rebounds while posting a .539 field goal percentage (41-for-76).
• Marc Gasol (left hamstring; strain), Pascal Siakam (groin; stretch) and Norman Powell (left shoulder; subluxation) were all injured Dec. 18 at Detroit. Toronto is 3-3 over the last six games without them. The Raptors are averaging 109.8 points and shooting .458 (235-for-513) from the field during this span.
• Terence Davis ll is one of the five rookies who’ve played in every game for their team this season, along with Darius Bazley (Oklahoma City), Darius Garland (Cleveland), Kendrick Nunn (Miami) and Coby White (Chicago). Only two rookies have played in every game of a season for the Raptors: Vince Carter in 1998– 99 (which was a lockout-shortened 50-game season) and Matt Bonner (2004–05).
• Kyle Lowry needs 100 assists to tie Jose Calderon (3,770) as the Raptors’ all-time leader in assists. Lowry is already the franchise leader in 3-point field goals (1,291), steals (773) and playoff victories (37). Lowry has recorded 10+ assists 110 times – second most in team history behind only Calderon (141).
• Toronto concludes its busiest month of the season tonight with its 16th game in December. This month’s schedule included three back-to-back sets. The Raptors’ 11 games at Scotiabank Arena tie the franchise record for most home games in a calendar month – Toronto also played 11 games at home in March 2016. The Raptors will play 10-of-15 games on the road in the month of January.
• The Raptors held Oklahoma City to 98 points in Sunday night’s loss. It was the 12th time this season that Toronto has limited its opponent to fewer than 100 points. The Raptors are 10-2 in those contests.
• Recorded 13 points and two steals in 37 minutes of play Dec. 29 vs. Oklahoma City. • Averaging 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 32.0 minutes in six games as a starter. • Has played at least 20 minutes in a career-long nine straight games (Dec. 14-29).
• Finished with six points, five rebounds and one steal in 26 minutes Dec. 29 vs. Oklahoma City. • Toronto is 14-3 this season when Anunoby scores 10 or more points (Last: 15 – Dec. 23 at Indiana). • Averaging 10.7 points (.457 FG%), 5.8 rebounds and 29.1 minutes through 15 games in December.
• Posted sixth double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds Dec. 29 vs. OKC. • Averaging 16.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 31.4 minutes in six games as a starter. • Has scored in double figures in 13-of-15 games in December; averaging 13.7 points this month.
• Scored 20 points with five assists and three rebounds in 39 minutes Dec. 29 vs. Oklahoma City. • Averaging 20.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 39.3 minutes through 14 games in December. • Has scored 20+ points in seven of the last eight games (Dec. 16-29); averaging 24.0 points during this stretch.
INJURY REPORT Marc Gasol (Left hamstring; strain) – Out Dewan Hernandez (Right ankle; sprain) – Out Norman Powell (Left shoulder; subluxation ) – Out Pascal Siakam (Groin; stretch) – Out Matt Thomas (Left middle finger; distal phalanx fracture) – Out.
CAVALIERS’ LAST GAME STARTERS
POS NO. PLAYER HT. WT. G GS PPG RPG APG FG% MPG
F 16 CEDI OSMAN 6-7 230 19-20: 32 32 9.9 3.3 2.2 .428 28.7
F 22 LARRY NANCE JR. 6-7 245 19-20: 29 5 8.4 7.2 1.5 .495 24.6
G 10 DARIUS GARLAND 6-1 192 19-20: 32 32 11.3 2.0 2.9 .399 28.2
NOTES
After defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves by a score of 94-88 on Saturday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers will wrap up their three-game road trip this New Year’s Eve when they take on the Toronto Raptors. This is the second of three matchups between the two teams this regular season (Jan. 30 at CLE). • Cleveland enter tonight’s game as winners of four of their last five games, limiting their opponents to a combined .437 shooting from the field and outrebounding them by 10.0 boards (50.0-40.0) over that stretch (since Dec. 18). In Saturday’s victory at Minnesota, the Cavs held the Wolves to 88 points and an opponent season-low .355 (33-93) shooting from the field, including just 8-37 (.216) from three. Cleveland also outrebounded Minnesota 61-39 (+22), their biggest differential of the season and most since a 23-rebound edge (60-37) versus Charlotte on Nov. 13, 2018. • The Wine & Gold’s 61 rebounds against Minnesota was a season-high (prev. 60 vs. MEM on Dec. 20). The last time Cleveland had that many rebounds in a game was over five years ago (61 at PHI on Feb. 18, 2014).
• UPCOMING MILESTONES:
TRISTAN THOMPSON (428 BLK) is 3 blocks away from passing Roy Hinson (430 BLK) for 6th place in franchise history. COLLIN SEXTON (1,944 PTS) needs 56 points to reach 2,000 for his career. • DARIUS GARLAND, who had a game-high tying 18 points, three assists and two steals in 29 minutes at Minnesota, also set a career high in FG% on Saturday night (.727, 8-11). In the first meeting against Toronto (Dec. 16), Garland finished with 20 points (7-14 FG, 4-8 3FG), five assists and two steals in 38 minutes of work. He has also poured in at least 14 points in four of the last six games.
• COLLIN SEXTON also recorded 18 points on Saturday, to go along with a season-high tying seven rebounds and one steal in 34 minutes. Over the last eight games, he is averaging 19.6 points (.484 FG%, .829 FT%), 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.25 steals in 31.5 minutes (since Dec. 12). In the first matchup versus the Raptors, Sexton posted a team-high 25 points (10-16 FG), five rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes of play.
• TRISTAN THOMPSON is coming off of his team-best 16th double-double of the season on Saturday (12 PTS, season-high tying 15 REB, 3 AST, 1 BLK, 8-10 FT, 35 MIN). He has grabbed 10+ rebounds in four of the last five games, averaging 12.0 rebounds to go with 10.2 points and 2.0 assists in 33.2 minutes over that stretch (since Dec. 18). He also had a solid outing in the Dec. 16th game in Toronto (18 PTS, 9-14 FG, 8 REB, 3 AST, 32 MIN).
• KEVIN PORTER JR. has scored in double figures in a career-high three straight games, averaging 13.7 points on .517 (15-29) shooting from the field, a .818 (9-11) mark from the foul line, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal in 26.0 minutes during that span. Porter Jr. has seven double-digit scoring performances in the month of December after having two in October/November.
LARRY NANCE JR. had a near double-double in the win at Minnesota (9 PTS, 4-7 FG, 9 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 31 MIN). As a starter this season (five games), Nance Jr. is averaging 12.0 points and 10.8 rebounds in 34.4 minutes per night.
• In his two games as a Cavalier, Dante Exum is shooting .600 (6-10) from the field and averaging 8.5 points and 1.50 steals in 15.7 minutes.
The view from left field 