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Associated Press

LeBron James scored 23 points then grabbed a seat, Kevin Love scored 25, and the Cleveland Cavaliers unleashed tenacious defence on Toronto to regain control of the Eastern Conference finals with a 116-78 rout of the Raptors in game five.
Back on their home court following two straight losses in Canada, the Cavs opened a 34-point lead in the first half and never slowed while taking a 3-2 series lead.
They can clinch their second straight conference title and trip to the NBA Finals with a win in game six on Saturday morning (Hong Kong time) in Toronto.
The Raptors, who came in with momentum and confidence after winning games three and four, left Quicken Loans Arena shaken and one loss from having their deepest playoff run stopped.
James had eight assists and six rebounds in 31 minutes before checking out late in the third quarter with the Cavs up 37. He spent the fourth quarter resting on the bench while Cleveland’s reserves finished the romp.

Kyrie Irving added 23 points and he, James and Love outscored the Raptors 43-34 in the first half. Cleveland have won their three games in the series by a combined 88 points.
DeMar DeRozan scored 14 points and Kyle Lowry had 13 for the Raptors, who were overwhelmed from the start. Bismack Biyombo had just four rebounds after getting 40 the past two games. The only positive for Toronto was center Jonas Valanciunas, who returned after missing eight straight games with a sprained right ankle. He scored nine points in 18 minutes.
Playing defence as if every possession was the game’s last, Cleveland held Toronto to just 34 points in the opening half while building a 31-point half-time lead – the largest in conference finals history. Since their expansion arrival in 1993, the Raptors had never been down by 30 points before in any game – regular or postseason – at half-time but they have rarely seen a defence like this either.
The Cavs were all over the court, swarming and stifling DeRozan and Lowry, who combined for 67 points in game four.

A courtside doctor might have stopped this one in the first half.
Love found his shooting touch after it went missing during the lost weekend in Toronto, where he went just 5 of 23 from the field and was benched for the fourth quarter of game four. He finished 8 of 10 from the field, a confidence-boosting performance that should temporarily quiet his critics.
The Cavs made a point of getting Love the ball right away and he responded by making all four field goal attempts, including a 3-pointer late in the first quarter that pushed the Cavs to a 37-19 lead.
Cleveland’s onslaught continued in the second quarter, and when James got free for an easy two-handed dunk, Cavs fans could relax and begin making TV viewing plans for Friday night.

But while it would have been understandable for Cleveland fans, who have waited since 1964 to celebrate a championship, to be nervous, James was cool.
Following the morning shootaround, the four-time MVP promised to bring a sense of “calmness” to the arena. After all, this was his 13th appearance in a game five with the series tied and he wasn’t about to show any anxiety. But once he and the Cavs took the court, they were anything but serene.
These looked more like the Cavaliers who opened the postseason with 10 straight wins and obliterated the Raptors by a combined 50 points in games one and two.
The Cavs attacked – at both ends – and knocked the Raptors out before the fight began.

TIP-INS
Raptors: Dropped to 2-7 on the road in this postseason. ... Played a game every other day since April 29, going 7-7. . Biyombo and Valanciunas are the only teammates with at least 120 rebounds this postseason.
Cavaliers: Trumped their 31-point win in Game 1, which was the previous most lopsided playoff victory in team history. ... James played in his 191st career postseason game, moving him ahead of Magic Johnson for 12th place on the all-time list. ... James (1,320) is tied with Kobe Bryant (1,320) for the second-most free throws in postseason history. Michael Jordan made 1,463. ... Improved to 7-0 at home in these playoffs.


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NBA Play-offs

Cavs hammer Raptors to close in on NBA finals

LeBron James shoots against Toronto Raptors' James Johnson. Photo: AP

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James dunks against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 25, 2016, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

The Cleveland Cavaliers' Kevin Love blocks the shot of the Toronto Raptors' Cory Joseph (6) during the first quarter in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday, May 25, 2016, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. (Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal/TNS)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Channing Frye looks to shoot as Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas defends during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals, Wednesday, May 25, 2016, in Cleveland. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: J.R. Smith #5, Matthew Dellavedova #8, Kevin Love #0, Channing Frye #9, LeBron James #23 and Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers look on from the bench late in the game against the Toronto Raptors in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 25, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

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LeBron and Love to the fore in a 116-78 rout
