Cavs on brink of returning to NBA finals
May 26, 2016 - 4:09 AM Cleveland have pushed Toronto to the brink of extinction with a blowout 38-point win in game five of the NBA Eastern Conference finals.The Raptors, after consecutive victories at home against the Cavaliers to level the series at 2-2, offered little resistance on Wednesday in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers won 116-78 after jumping to a 37-19 first quarter lead and never letting the Raptors in the game.
The Raptors trailed by 40 points at the start of the fourth quarter.
The victory gives the Cavs a 3-2 series lead, and they can return to the NBA finals with just one more win.
Game six is on Friday in Toronto.
"It will be extremely difficult playing in that beast of an arena we are going to, but we have to be composed, tough and sharp," Cavs leader LeBron James said.
The lopsided win continued a theme of the series, with both teams dominant on their home court and feeble when they travel.
James had 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds and Kyrie Irving had 23 points.
But it was the Cavs' other All-Star, Kevin Love, who fuelled the strong start.
Love, who lost his shooting touch in Cleveland's back-to-back losses on the road, hit his first six shots on his way to 25 points.
"Our aggression picked up from the start and it began with Kevin," James said.
"He was a huge reason of why we were able to play as well as we did today."
The Cavaliers were so far ahead James, Irving and Love sat out the fourth quarter.
Australian guard Matthew Dellavedova did not take a shot in his nine minutes on the court, but fed his scorers with five assists and on defence helped neutralise Raptors guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.
DeRozan had 14 points and Lowry 13 points.
In the Western Conference, defending NBA champions Golden State will be eliminated if they fail to win game five on Thursday in Oakland.
Oklahoma City lead the best-of-seven series 3-1.
Source: AAP
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