NBA Finals: Cavaliers 113, Raptors 112
TORONTO (AP) This time, LeBron James didnt have to do it all by himself.
James had 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his 21st career playoff triple-double, J.R. Smith scored 20 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors 113-112 in overtime on Tuesday night to win Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Kyle Korver scored 19 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime after Cleveland never led in regulation. Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who have eliminated Toronto in each of the past two postseasons.
My teammates were unbelievable tonight, James said. They stepped up when I wasnt at my best.
Jeff Green scored 16 points and Kevin Love had 13 rebounds.
James, who topped 40 points three times in seven games against Indiana in round one, shot 12 for 30 against Toronto, going 1 for 8 from 3-point range, and called it probably one of my worst games of the season.
Still, James came through when it counted, tying the score with two baskets in the final 92 seconds of regulation to complete Clevelands comeback from a double-digit deficit.
It got to a one-possession, two-possession game, James said. Thats what I like the most.
Torontos Fred VanVleet missed a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds to go in overtime that could have won it for the Raptors, who couldnt hold on after taking a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
He got a heck of a shot, Raptors guard De-Mar DeRozan said. Ill live with him shooting that shot 10 times out of
10. We got a good look and it just didnt fall.
Jonas Valanciunas had 21 points and 21 rebounds, Kyle Lowry had 18 points and 10 assists, and DeRozan scored 22 points for the Raptors, who host Game 2 on Thursday night.
The Cavaliers beat the Raptors in six games in the Eastern Conference finals in 2016 before going on to win their first NBA championship. Last year, Cleveland swept Toronto in the second round.
Korvers 3 early in overtime gave the Cavaliers their first lead of the game, 108-105.
Lowrys three-point play made it 113-112 with 57 seconds to go and, after the Cavs were called for a shot-clock violation, Toronto had one more chance to win, but VanVleet couldnt come through.
We feel good about the win but I think we were also very fortunate, Korver said.
