DeRozan puts Raptors on his back, but Cavaliers still thunder to a win

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For three quarters, the Toronto Raptors kept things from getting out of control. They looked briefly capable of answering with a win after letting the Cleveland Cavaliers dominate them in the first two games of their Eastern Conference semi-final series.

DeMar DeRozan tried putting the team on his back, rumbling for 37 points two days after settling for a career playoff-low five. But Kyle Lowry was out with a sprained ankle, and his all-star backcourt mate couldn't do it alone.

Instead the reigning NBA champions thundered to a 115-94 win, and took a 3-0 series lead.

The Raptors started Cory Joseph in place of Lowry, who injured his left ankle in Game 2. The star point guard came out for warm-ups but was unable to go.

"He was going to try, but it was still bothering him, and he was limping badly," said Toronto Coach Dwane Casey. "He wanted to. The trainers told him he shouldn't try to go, because he was in so much pain."

Jonas Valanciunas returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in Game 2 and scored 23 points. The big man joined DeRozan, Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell.

Drake was courtside, so was Gord Downie. The fans were all decked in white shirts printed with red maple leafs and they booed LeBron James each time he touched the ball.

Unlike in the games in Cleveland, the Raptors kept the Cavs from building a huge first-quarter lead. There were early positives for Toronto, starting with lots of buckets from Ibaka and Valanciunas. DeRozan missed his first four field-goal attempts, but finally starting making them 10 minutes in. And Powell was keeping James somewhat quiet.

The Raps trailed 28-24 by the end of the quarter, and Delon Wright – not Lowry – was the point guard subbed in for Joseph. Lowry remained seated.

Powell, who left the game briefly in the first quarter after rolling his ankle, came back big – sticking to the much bigger and more experienced James and keeping him somewhat quiet, as well as rolling to the basket himself to score.

DeRozan – who was smothered under double-teams in Game 2 and went 2-for-11 – picked up steam in Friday's second quarter. He looked himself for the first time in the series – getting opportunities, drawing fouls and vaulting over his defenders to hit jumpers in a 13-point quarter.

With two minutes left in the half, Toronto finally earned its first lead since the opening moments of Game 1. Despite struggling mightily to get and make three-point shots, the Raps went into the locker room up 52-49.

JR Smith – bringer of much defensive frustration for DeRozan in Games 1 and 2 – got five fouls midway through the third quarter Friday and went to the bench with DeRozan already having 30 points on the sheet.

The Raptors missed their first dozen three-point attempts, yet still they were hanging with the Cavs point for point. It was Powell who finally drained Toronto's first one from beyond the arc with three minutes left in the third. Toronto would go a dismal 2-of-18 from distance on the night.

James, who averaged 37 points in the first two games, was showing more of his superstar talent late as the Cavs wore on the Raps and built a 23-point fourth-quarter lead. He'd tally 35 points on this evening.

DeRozan played more than 40 minutes. The Raptors couldn't hang with him off the floor.

"DeRozan was amazing – he gave everything he had," said James. "We just tried to make it tough on him and weather the storm."

Instead of keeping it close with the reigning champs to the final buzzer, the Raps let the game spiral out of control as Cleveland's Kyle Korver hit some daggers, and the Cavs buckled down defensively.

"They really locked in on us," said DeRozan. "We just couldn't get nothing to fall, and they turned it up offensively and ran away with it. When you see them knocking down their threes, it's kind of deflating."

Toronto fans moped to the exits early as their team was outscored 36-17 in the final stanza.  It was the first time Toronto had lost three straight games since February.

"Man you've got to give them credit. They're a hell of a team," said DeRozan, who said he thought he could have kept playing without that rest at the start of the fourth. "It's tough. We competed for 36 minutes tonight, but them 12 minutes, they ran away with it. They're the champs for a reason."

Valanciunas finished with 19, Powell 13 and Ibaka 12. The Raps got just nine points from their bench. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love had 16 apiece for Cleveland.

"We were fighting," said Valanciunas. "Honestly, today we were not giving up but they were better than us."

Game 4 will be played Sunday afternoon in Toronto, with the home team looking down the barrel of elimination.