Toronto Raptors crushed by Cleveland Cavaliers on historic night for LeBron James

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Kyle Lowry sprained his ankle, and DeMar DeRozan went 2-for-11 from the field as the Toronto Raptors were crushed 125-103 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and head home north of the border in a 0-2 series hole.

LeBron James troubled the Raptors again – this time for 39 points – and Kyrie Irving added 22. Jonas Valanciunas led Toronto with 23 points, while Lowry had 20, but his fellow all-star backcourt mate DeRozan was held to just five.

Lowry, who came down awkwardly with Norman Powell under that basket, said his ankle was still hurting after the game.

"It was kind of scary...it's painful but I'm not going to complain about it," said Lowry of the injury. "I'm gonna get treatment, get ready to play in Game 3."

The Raptors expressed everything from anger to embarrassment after the game.

"It sucks. It's frustrating," said a somber DeRozan in the locker room. "Now just having time, having to wait until Friday night to redeem yourself."

Following their Game 1 loss, the Raptors opted to alter the starting lineup. They moved out Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll and inserted Powell and Patrick Patterson to join usual starters DeRozan, Lowry and Serge Ibaka.

Ibaka moved onto Tristan Thompson, while Patterson guarded Kevin Love. The 6-foot-4, second-year guard Powell started off defending the superstar James, a 6-foot-8 veteran of 12 successive postseasons.

There were good signs for Toronto early in the first quarter. Lowry hit his first three shots. Powell added quickness and more ball handling, and drove through the paint to score. Patterson, who was 1-for-5 from the field in Game 1, drained his first shot attempt – a stunning three-pointer.

But as they had in Game 2, the Cavs high-octane offence was humming. They were zipping the ball quickly, and shooting hot – especially Kevin Love and J.R. Smith. Cleveland was also badly outrebounding Toronto's small lineup and producing frequent turnovers. The Raps couldn't score at the Cavs' lightning-fast pace.

Midway through the quarter, Valanciunas was the first off the bench – in for Ibaka – who had gone a costly 0-for-4 from the field early on. The Lithuanian big man scored ten fast points – a few jumpers, a dunk and a low-post bucket where he toppled Channing Frye to the ground.

Despite James not making his first field goal until nine minutes into the game, Cleveland shot a blazing-hot 70 per cent in the first quarter, to Toronto's 42 per cent. The home team led 34-22 going into the second.

"They may be the North," bellowed the peppy host on the microphone inside Quicken Loans Arena, "But we defend 'The Land.'"

Valanciunas continued his hot night when he returned in the second, bullying his way through the paint to score repeatedly. But the Cavs were able to hold DeRozan without a field goal – Toronto's all-star guard managed just a single free throw and went 0-for-7 from the field in the first half as the Raptors trailed 62-48 going into the locker room.

Just inside the quarter Lowry left the game and went to the locker room briefly after Powell fell on his leg under the hoop.

James was piling in the points – everything from three-point jumpers to emphatic dunks. With a crisp bucket from beyond the arc in the third, the crowd rose in ovation as it was announced on the video board that James had moved past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the No. 2 scorer in NBA playoff history. James is now second only to Michael Jordan.

Irving stole a ball off Powell, and then dribbled past the young Raptor for what could have been a layup. Instead the Cavs point guard passed behind him to James, who exploded up for a vicious dunk.

Toronto laboured away – enjoying a few highlights – Ibaka finally making shots and Lowry dribbling in for layups. The Cavs took a hefty 99-73 lead into the fourth, and Cavs fans were already salivating over the 10 free chicken nuggets they win every time their team eclipses 100 points.

Lowry left the game for good before the final quarter. DeRozan left shortly after that. It marked the fifth time DeRozan has been held under 10 points in a playoff game – all on the road against four different opponents – Indiana twice, Miami, Milwaukee and Cleveland. The Raps are 0-5 when DeRozan is held under 10 points.

James left to yet another ovation and chants of "M-V-P" after getting 39 points on just 14 shots.

Dating back to last year, the superb Cavs have now won nine straight playoff games. The series picks up in Toronto, with Games 3 and 4 going Friday and Sunday.

"Last year, same exact moment, it seems identical," said DeRozan of last year's series with Cleveland. "We got our butts spanked. We came in at home and we were a different team. That's something that's encouraging. We know we can do it. We haven't played well at all, collectively on either end. That's a positive for us going back home, to our home court, to try to make something happen."