Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images/AFP
Pascal Siakam scored 35 points and the host Toronto Raptors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-104 on Thursday night.
Siakam was 6 of 7 on 3-pointers. OG Anunoby added 14 points in his return to the Raptors’ lineup after missing 15 games with a broken finger.
“His name is Pascal ALL-NBA Siakam” pic.twitter.com/gdQVM2fghU
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) March 25, 2022
The Raptors (41-32) have won seven of their past nine games to move into a tie for sixth place with the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland won the first three games between the teams this season.
Chris Boucher added 17 points off the bench for Toronto, Scottie Barnes had 11 points, Fred VanVleet had 10 points and eight assists and Precious Achiuwa scored 10.
Lauri Markkanen scored 20 points for the Cavaliers (41-32), who have lost two in a row. Darius Garland added 18 points and 10 assists, Lamar Stevens had 16 points, Kevin Love had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert each scored 11.
Toronto used a 15-0 run to take a 25-17 lead after one quarter.
Sparked by Thaddeus Young’s eight points off the bench, the Raptors stretched the lead to 14 points. Anunoby made two free throws with 1:49 left in the second quarter. Stevens and Markkanen finished off the first half with dunks, cutting Toronto’s lead to 58-48.
Toronto regained a 14-point lead on Siakam’s 3-pointer with 9:03 remaining in the third quarter. Love’s 3-pointer reduced the deficit to eight. Stevens made one of two free throws with 4:22 left, trimming the lead to five. Toronto led 83-75 after three quarters.
The lead returned to 14 on VanVleet’s 3-pointer with 6:10 to go. Cleveland cut the deficit to eight when Mobley banked in a hook shot. Toronto scored the next six points, four by Siakam and two by Barnes, to lead by 14 again with 2:53 to play.
Gary Trent Jr. (toe) was out for Toronto.
Jarrett Allen (finger) and Dean Wade (knee) were out for Cleveland.