Matthew Dellavedova (centre) of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA Playoffs on Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won 108-89. (Photo: AFP)
Matthew Dellavedova (centre) of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA Playoffs on Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won 108-89. (Photo: AFP)
With LeBron James producing another overpowering performance, the Cleveland Cavaliers routed Toronto 108-89 Thursday, stretching their playoff record to 10-0 and moving closer to an NBA Finals return.
James scored 23 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and passed out 11 assists as the host Cavaliers, who swept through the first two playoff rounds, seized a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals with game three Saturday at Toronto.
“We’re just a well-balanced, (well-)oiled machine,” James said. “You have to do multiple things depending on how the series and the games go and we’ve been able to do that.”
Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 26 points and Kevin Love added 19 for Cleveland, whose run is one shy of the NBA record playoff start of 11-0 achieved by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1989 and 2001.
“It’s always difficult to deal with me,” four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James said. “It adds even more when you have two all-stars with you who command multiple eyes every possession. They are in such a great rhythm I can do other things to help us win.”
The Cavaliers are two wins from facing the Western Conference champion, either Oklahoma City or defending NBA champion Golden State, in the NBA Finals that begin on June 2.
Cleveland lost to Golden State in last year’s NBA Finals, but Love was out with an injury and Irving went down with an injury in game one.
The Cavaliers have led Toronto by 10 or more points throughout the second half in both games and Cleveland’s Tyronn Lue, the first NBA coach to win his first 10 playoff games, credits Irving and Love for helping ease the load on James.
