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Sexton scores 28 as Cavaliers rout Raptors
LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Collin Sexton scored 28 points and
Kevin Love tallied 16 points and 18 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers used
a balanced attack to upset the Toronto Raptors 126-101 on Monday.
Cedi Osman scored 19 points and Ante Zizic had 17 for Cleveland, who had a
half dozen players in double figure scoring.
“That was a great win for us,” Love said. “Especially against a real good
team at home. It was fun.”
Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard returned from a one game absence to score 25 points
on 11 of 19 shooting from the field for Toronto who have the second best
record in the NBA.
Kyle Lowry scored 14 points for the Raptors, who dropped to 48-20 on the
season and trail Milwaukee by 2 1/2 games for the best record.
“They did a great job, they played well, and they made open shots,” Leonard
said. “That’s pretty much the way the game played out.”
The Raptors said they wanted to rest Leonard in the last game because of
the long season but they looked like a tired team against the Cavaliers and
led only briefly in the first half.
Leonard hasn’t appeared in more than two consecutive games since finishing
up five straight in early February.
Cleveland led by as much as 27 points late in the game after seizing
command early in the fourth.
– Two ejected –
Toronto’s Serge Ibaka and Cleveland’s Marquese Chriss were ejected for a
shoving match in the third quarter. Ibaka fell down and got up and
immediately went after Chriss.
Ibaka shoved Chriss from behind and grabbed his throat. A shoving match
ensued and at one stage Ibaka tried to throw a punch but missed wildly. At
that point Chriss was trying to break free and eventually did. One or both
players could face a suspension.
Love said it didn’t last long.
“I saw it out of the corner of my eye,” Love said. “It happened so fast.
Everybody almost wants to run out there and check what’s going on. It was
broken up quick. That’s usually how it goes.”
Also, James Harden scored 28 points and Eric Gordon had 22 as the Houston
Rockets overcame Kemba Walkers’s 40 point performance with a 118-106 win.
Clint Capela tallied 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Rockets who won
their ninth straight game. Chris Paul had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and
Harden had 10 assists and six rebounds.
Walker also had 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Hornets lost their
second in a row.
Elsewhere, Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 points and the Brooklyn Nets moved
into sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 103-75 win over
the Detroit Pistons.
Allen Crabbe finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, Rodions Kurucs scored
13 points as the Nets took control early in the game and stayed in command.
The Nets won their fourth straight and vaulted over Detroit into the No. 6
spot in their final game before leaving for a seven-game road trip.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1006 hrs