The Toronto Raptors have lost 10 of the last 12 playoff games to the Cleveland Cavaliers. You could argue that if the Raptors had made 1 of the last 11 shots in regulation in Game 1 or started the comeback sooner in Game 3, the Raptors would still be playing NBA playoffs basketball.
The offence collapse at home in Game 1 went back to the Game 1 curse of old but also sent a marker that the Cleveland curse was likely to continue.
DeMar DeRozan was sitting on the bench during the comeback late in Game 3. Fred VanVleet in place of Serge Ibaka for Game 3. CJ Miles started Game 4 in for Jonas Valanciunas. The changes did not help.
DeRozan's Game 4 came to an abrupt end with a flagrant foul-2 with 23 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, finishing with 13 points to go with his 8 points in Game 3.
The other Cavaliers minus LeBron James outscored the Raptors 99-93 in Game 4. LeBron James buzzer beater shot won Game 3 after a tremendous Toronto 4th quarter comeback.
The #1 seed got dusted in the second round: Cleveland curse is more than an alliteration.
Cleveland stands in the way for Toronto Raptors to go far in 2018 NBA playoffs
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TSN and Rogers Sportsnet ended the 2018 NBA playoff season with 5 telecasts each. The math worked out well with the Raptors winning in 6 before losing in 4.
Drake and Kendrick Perkins exchanged more words postgame pic.twitter.com/Z0rdXDe1uL
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 2, 2018
Drake had a bad round as well. The Toronto Raptors #1 superfan got into a yelling fest twice with Kendrick Perkins of the Cavs in Game 1. The NBA stepped in with Drake after the game, citing the NBA code of conduct. Drake and the Raptors were a lot more quiet in Game 2.
Toronto Raptors playoff history
| 2018 | Cleveland | 0-4 |
| 2018 | Washington | 4-2 |
| 2017 | Cleveland | 0-4 |
| 2017 | Milwaukee | 4-2 |
| 2016 | Cleveland | 2-4 |
| 2016 | Miami | 4-3 |
| 2016 | Indiana | 4-3 |
| 2015 | Washington | 0-4 |
| 2014 | Brooklyn | 3-4 |
| 2008 | Orlando | 1-4 |
| 2007 | New Jersey | 2-4 |
| 2002 | Detroit | 2-3 |
| 2001 | Philadelphia | 3-4 |
| 2001 | New York | 3-2 |
| 2000 | New York | 0-3 |
Twitter capture: @mcten
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