Darius Garland made two free throws with 4.8 seconds to play and the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers ended the Toronto Raptors’ five-game winning streak with a 102-101 victory on Friday night.
Garland was fouled going to the basket after Collin Sexton had won a jump ball. The free throws by Garland, who scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, gave the Cavaliers their first lead of the game.
OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes missed chances to give Toronto the win in the final seconds.
Evan Mobley had 18 points for the Cavaliers, who have won three straight. Cedi Osman added 17 points off the bench, Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 15 rebounds and Ricky Rubio scored 11 points.
Anunoby scored 23 points — nine in the fourth quarter — for Toronto. Fred VanVleet added 18 points, Gary Trent Jr. scored 17, Barnes had 14 and Dalano Banton 11.
Toronto led by 15 during the third quarter and took a six-point lead into the fourth.
Garland made a layup and a free throw with 7:19 to play, cutting the Cavaliers’ deficit to two. Allen’s 3-pointer tied the game at 94 with 4:42 to play. Anunoby’s 3-pointer gave Toronto a five-point lead with 1:43 left, but the Raptors never scored again.
A second consecutive Allen basket reduced the margin to one with 42.2 seconds to play.
The Raptors led 29-28 after the first quarter. Toronto opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run, but the Cavaliers answered with five straight points.
Allen’s dunk with 2:03 remaining in the second quarter trimmed the lead to three points. Toronto went on a 9-0 run before Osman completed the first-half scoring with a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 57-48.
The Raptors scored the first six points of the third quarter.The Cavaliers pulled within eight with 7:18 left in the third after Garland scored five straight points. The Raptors moved ahead by 13 on Trent’s 3-pointer with 5:44 to go in the third.
Rubio’s layup with 39.5 seconds left in the period reduced the lead to four. Toronto led 80-74 after three quarters.
–Field Level Media
