LeBron scores 39, Cavaliers rout Raptors 125-103 in Game 2

Cleveland is only up by two games after the 125-103 win on Wednesday.

“Playoff LeBron” has destroyed Toronto in the series’ first two games, and is looking to put them out of their misery as quickly as possible.

As far as 30-plus point playoff games go, James tied Kobe Bryant at 88, with, again, Jordan the only one left to chase.

James is scorching the Raptors with his scoring, rebounding and passing, and has the defending National Basketball Association champion Cavs leading the Eastern Conference semifinals series 2-0 as the teams shift to Toronto for Game 3 on Friday night. Khris Middleton proved to be an x-factor In the team’s run late in the regular season, after returning from an injury, and if Jabari Parker can return well from a second left ACL tear the Bucks will be risky again next season.

“First of all, I said I was going to pay the fine before I even knew what it was”, James said following Cleveland’s 116-105 win in Game 1.

Wednesday’s loss was Toronto’s fifth straight post-season rout in Cleveland.

On Monday night, James jokingly swiped a beer bottle from a surprised courtside server during the third quarter of Cleveland’s playoff game against the Toronto Raptors and considered sipping it before handing it back. But he doesn’t see either continuing once the series shifts back to Toronto on Friday. James scored 20 points, aided by hitting 10-of-13 at the free throw line.

“He’s playing unbelievable. He’s playing like LeBron James“, said Toronto’s Kyle Lowry.

If James and Irving continue to be the two best players on the floor, Cleveland will be scouting the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards in short order. He contributed 18 points (5-6 from deep) off the bench.

Kyrie Irving had 22 points and 11 assists and Channing Frye scored 18 points for the reigning champions.

The Raptors didn’t start Jonas Valanciunas, but he led them with 23 points.

Lowry suffered a left ankle sprain in Game 2 that cost him the fourth quarter. He limped gingerly to the interview room podium immediately after the game and said the offending joint was “pretty sore right now”, then muttered an expletive when he was walking away.

James (5,777) continued his ascent up the playoffs scoring list on Wednesday when he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (5,762) for second.

“Winning championships in the ’80s and things of that nature and how many points he’s put up”. He’s somebody that you read about. Toronto is 0-5 when DeRozan is held under 10 points (all road games). This year, 33. “The series has gone nowhere”, Casey said. “Sometimes you’re not going to be open for very long, and if you wait to be more open you don’t get that opportunity – especially against a Draymond Green, or an Iguodala, or Klay Thompson, guys that are such good defenders”. Eastern Conference teams since 2015. He also became just the 4th player in NBA Playoff history to make 300 career three-pointers with his second trey of the night. Despite inserting Norman Powell and Patrick Patterson into the starting lineup to push the pace, the Raptors managed to dig themselves an early hole anyways. He also moved Serge Ibaka from power forward to center. The Cavs mopped up their home court with the Raptors, eviscerating them in two consecutive confidence-draining blowouts.

And in case you forgot, LeBron is only 32 years old. “It was done. I don’t believe in that. We have to go home and I don’t know, fix something”, said a shell-shocked Valanciunas. “I’ve seen it before”.

Clevelands defensive game plan to double-team and trap DeRozan has worked to a charm.

DeRozan missed his first nine shots and finished 2-for-11 from the field.

“Kyle is our driving force, our point guard, our leader”, DeRozan said. They shot great and LeBron shot 21 free throws. we shot 19 as a team.

The Cavs have unsurprisingly taken a 2-0 series lead, cruising to double-digit victories in each game.