Raptors emerging as East contenders after beating Cavs

Alec Brzezinski

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Raptors emerging as East contenders after beating Cavs image

By some miracle, it appears the Eastern Conference might be more competitive than the Western Conference. More evidence was provided Wednesday when the Raptors beat the Cavaliers 103-99 in Toronto.

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry took over the game in the second half, scoring 20 of his game-high 27 points in the final 24 minutes. Lowry has excelled after struggling during last year's playoffs. He also had six assists and four steals in Toronto's statement win.

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Lowry wasn't the only Raptor to give Cleveland trouble; all five Toronto starters scored in double figures. DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points to go with four assists; fill-in center Bismack Biyombo added 11 points and 12 rebounds.

LeBron James led Cleveland (11-3) with 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds, but the offense once again was run through Kevin Love. Love, who has been on an MVP-like pace to start the season, finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. He made 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.

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The East's early success stands in stark contrast to last season when two teams made the playoffs despite finishing below .500.

Teams like the Raptors (9-6) and Pacers (9-5) have improved on both ends of the court, and even though the Raptors lost starting center Jonas Valanciunas to a broken hand, they've proven they can adapt and hang with some of the best teams in the league.

Here's more from Wednesday's NBA action:

76ers remain winless

Another day, another 76ers loss. It shouldn't be a surprise by now. On Wednesday, Philadelphia led by nine points midway through the fourth quarter and looked poised to finally win a game.

But then the Sixers stalled and the Celtics, who really weren't much better, took advantage of their mistakes and won 84-80. Philadelphia (0-16) is now dangerously close to surpassing the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets (0-18) for the worst start to a season. The loss, the Sixers' 26th straight dating to last season, also tied a record for longest overall losing streak, a mark they tied last season in joining the 2010-11 Cavaliers.

Durant, Westbrook lead Thunder past Nets

The lethal pairing combined for 57 points in a 110-99 win and played off each other nicely all night. Durant finished with a game-high 30 points. He also had six rebounds and five assists. Westbrook scored 27 points to go with 13 assists and six rebounds in yet another fine all-around effort. Oklahoma City, like many of the Western Conference teams, is off to a sluggish start, but it still has the talent to beat anyone.

Highlights

Pelicans point guard Ish Smith finds Anthony Davis for a monstrous slam. The two helped New Orleans beat the Suns 120-114. Davis turned in a masterful performance, with 26 points and 17 rebounds. Smith came off the bench to score 20 points and dish out 11 assists. As long as Davis can stay healthy, the Pelicans will remain in the playoff picture.

Cavs guard Mo Williams heaves a 70-footer before the buzzer to end the third quarter:

Stud of the Night

The Kings needed someone to step up in place of injured center DeMarcus Cousins, and Rudy Gay answered the call. Sacramento's small forward scored a game-high 36 points on 13-of-21 shooting and also grabbed five rebounds, helping the Kings hold on to beat the Bucks 129-118.

Dud of the Night

Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade looked miles away from the player who has won three NBA championships and played in 11 All-Star games during a 104-81 loss to the Pistons. Wade finished with just two points on 1-of-9 shooting. Maybe he's been watching Kobe Bryant play too much lately.

What's next

The NBA is off on Thanksgiving; it will be back in action Friday.

Alec Brzezinski