Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry gametime decision for Game 3 against Cavaliers

James also became the fourth player with 300 career 3-pointers in the postseason, joining Ray Allen (385), Reggie Miller (320) and Manu Ginobili (312).

It was a matter of too much LeBron James and no Kyle Lowry on Friday night.

LeBron James scored 35 points while Kevin Love added a double-double (16 points, 13 rebounds) as the Cavs maintained their 100 per cent record in this year’s post-season.

The team said Thomas has a four-piece temporary bridge that cracked when he was re-injured and replaced at halftime of Game 3 on Thursday.

Through six postseason games, all Cleveland wins, James is averaging 34.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.8 blocks in 42.2 minutes.

Lowry suffered the injury when he collided with teammate Norman Powell in Game 2 of the Raptors’ NBA Eastern Conference semifinal against the Cavs.

James finished with 39 points on just 14 shots, shooting 21 free throws and going 4-of-6 from long distance.

DeRozan sat down to begin the fourth with his coach believing he needed “a blow”.

Coach Tyronn Lue attributed his superstar’s playoff efficiency to the fact J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert have been defending DeRozan, with Smith also guarding Indiana’s Paul George for most of the Cavs’ first-round sweep. The Raptors need to cut down on the threes and make it more hard on Cleveland when it shoots from long distance. They contested 11 Cleveland three-point attempts with “tight” defence, according to data from NBA.com, after having only had a defender within four feet on four such attempts in Game 1.

Kyle Lowry had a decent night for Toronto, pouring in 20 points on an efficient 7 of 12 from the floor, while Corey Joseph added 22 points off the bench. I work on both hands. However, it was LeBron who dominated the start of the fourth, and this shot later in the quarter may have been the dagger. Cleveland made 13 Friday night. Toronto was just as efficient – hitting on 16-of-17 free throws. The Rockets scratched together just six field goals on 25 percent shooting in the first quarter.

The Raptors missed their first 12 3-point shots, and in the process missed a chance to take advantage of the Cavs going through a bit of an offensive malaise in the middle of the game.

DeRozan came out of the locker room like he was shot out of a cannon and continued to carry the load for the Raptors, scoring 15 points in the third quarter.

Given the lopsided of nature of this series heading into play Friday, the Raptors were already running out of options.

DeRozan had one point in the fourth quarter.

But Korver unleashed the floodgates with another triple to start the final period and the Wine and Gold barely looked back the rest of the way.

DeRozan said his team’s long-range struggles were made even more “deflating” because Cleveland connected 13 times on 23 attempts from beyond the arc. “Tonight is the most points he’s scored playing less than 40 minutes in a playoff game, so just continues to impress and continues to get better”.

“The thing that I have been most impressed with with LeBron is he has the playoffs in mind the whole year”. You see them knocking down 3s left and right, getting to their spots, it’s kind of deflating. “He’s in a situation right now where he’s playing very comfortably and the things he’s doing are comfortable. That’s how we go”. Last season, they lost the first two games by a combined 50 points and managed to win Games 3 and 4 at home and even the series. The Raptors actually tried in Game 2 and you could see the compete level early on.

“It’s unfortunate, obviously, when anyone goes out, especially one of our stars”, said Cory Joseph, who started in Lowry’s absence. James had eight rebounds and seven assists.

Game 4 is Sunday night in Houston.