Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 37 points and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 110-99 on Nov. 24 to extend their winning streak to eight.
The loss spoiled Akron-native Chris Livingston’s impressive Cavaliers debut. Livingston had seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, three rebounds and a team-best plus/minus of +12 in 14 minutes off the bench.
Scottie Barnes added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors, who shot 48.9% from the field and swept the three-game season series.
Immanuel Quickley’s 11 points and seven assists helped Toronto win for the 12th time in 13 games. Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 12 points off the bench and Jakob Poeltl had seven points and 13 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell scored 17 points and added eight assists for the depleted Cavaliers, who shot 41.4% from the field. Jaylon Tyson added 15 points and nine rebounds and Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Evan Mobley each scored 14.
Toronto led by 12 entering the fourth quarter. Tyson’s eight-footer reduced the margin to six with 6:46 to play, but Barnes replied with four consecutive points before Mitchell hit successive 3-pointers to cut the lead to four with 4:37 remaining. Ingram again had the answer when he hit a 3-pointer 26 seconds later. Barnes stuffed a short jumper to increase the lead to 110-99 with 1:14 to play.
The Cavaliers led 32-29 at the end of one quarter, using five steals to their advantage.
Livingston’s three-point play gave Cleveland a six-point lead with 8:19 left until halftime. After Toronto missed four consecutive free throws, Cleveland’s lead reached eight before Ingram, who made 15 of his 30 shots from the field, scored four straight points. Ingram went to work again and made a free throw and two tough mid-range jumpers to cap a 13-2 run that closed out the first half and gave Toronto a 57-54 advantage.
Toronto took a 10-point lead with 8:14 to play in the third on Ingram’s dunk. Cleveland sliced the edge to four with 5:44 remaining on Tomlin’s dunk after Lonzo Ball’s block. Ingram nailed a 3-pointer late in the quarter to bump Toronto’s lead to 14, and Mobley’s dunk completed the scoring in the third and gave the Raptors an 88-76 lead.
Cleveland was without Darius Garland (injury management), De’Andre Hunter (rest), Sam Merrill (hand), Jarrett Allen (finger), Craig Porter Jr. (hamstring), Max Strus (foot surgery) and Dean Wade (knee hyperextension).
Toronto was without RJ Barrett (sprained knee).
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Short-handed Cavaliers can’t keep up with streaking Raptors
Reporting by Field Level Media, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
