LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are headed back to the NBA Finals for a second straight season, with some unfinished business to take care of.
James scored 33 points, Kyrie Irving had 30 as the visiting Cavaliers eliminated the Toronto Raptors 113-87 in Game 6 on Friday to win the Eastern Conference finals.
A two-time NBA champion, James will be making his seventh Finals appearance and sixth in a row, as Cleveland awaits the winner between defending champions Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City. The Thunder lead 3-2 with Game 6 on come up today. “We have one more round to be great,” James said. “We look forward to it.”
Kevin Love had 20 points and 12 rebounds while JR Smith netted 15 on five triples as the top-seeded Cavs hit 17-of-31 from behind the arc to win at Air Canada Centre for the first time in five visits this season. “We came together and we trusted each other,” Cavs rookie coach Tyronn Lue said. “It was a beautiful thing to watch.”
The undermanned Cavs bowed to the Warriors last season as Love and Irving sat out with shoulder and knee injuries, respectively. But the wine and gold are at full strength again, as they make another run at Cleveland’s first major sport championship since 1964.
“This city has been craving for a championship, we have to the right team and the right talent,” Lue said. “Everyone is healthy and eager going into the Finals and enjoying this moment.”
A healthy Irving and Love are determined to complete the goal. “Just thinking about the steps it took to get back here, this is what it’s all about,” Irving said. “The ups and downs but we’re still not satisfied. There’s a goal at hand we have to accomplish. I know the guys will be ready and so will I.”
Love agreed saying, “We know we’re not done. We’re not satisfied.”
Kyle Lowry poured in 35 points, including 23 in the second half, while DeMar DeRozan added 20 for the second-seeded Raptors, who had a strong showing in their first conference finals appearance.
“This year was a great learning experience for all of us,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “We should be proud but not satisfied. We’re not where (the Cavaliers) are right now. We’re going to be.”
Playing with laser-like focus, the Cavaliers hit 10-of-15 triples and led 55-41 at halftime behind 23 points from James. Tempers flared early as Toronto centre Bismack Biyombo was retroactively hit with a flagrant 1 foul in the opening quarter for elbowing Love in the jaw while putting in an offensive rebound. At first no call was made but the play was reviewed, and referees assessed Biyombo with the flagrant and the basket was wiped out.
Early in the second quarter, Cavs’ Richard Jefferson objected to taking a Jonas Valanciunas elbow in the ribs. They were hit with technical fouls and a third was given to Toronto’s Patrick Patterson. Trailing by 21 in the third quarter, Lowry gave the diehard Raptors fans hope, putting up 18 points to bring them within 86-74. Toronto drew to within 88-78 on a DeRozan jumper 90 seconds into the fourth quarter.
But James scored six points in a
14-3 blitz, capped by triples from Smith and Irving to open up a 102-81 cushion with about six minutes left before easing home.
Lowry was bittersweet that the Raptors’ most successful season in team history came to an end. “Of course you’re going to look back at some point but right now I’m disappointed,” he said. “But we tip our hats to those guys. They played unbelievable. They have chance to win the NBA Championship and that’s where we want to be.”