Cavs win but lose Smith

Associated Press

TORONTO

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost J.R. Smith to a left knee injury early in the game, though LeBron James wouldn’t allow his team to let up on the Toronto Raptors one bit.

James scored a season-high 34 points as the Cavaliers broke a three-game losing streak with a 116-112 victory on Monday night.

It was their third straight victory this season over the Raptors, the team they beat on their way to the championship in last year’s Eastern Conference finals.

“Next man up,” he said. “It’s always been our mindset; obviously we hope the MRI’s come back positive with J.R.’s injury, so it’s next man up and guys have to be able to fulfill that.”

Smith injured his left knee in the first quarter after landing on a jump shot and hobbled to the dressing room in considerable pain. He did not return, and the Cavaliers said X-rays taken at the arena were negative and that the guard would return to Cleveland on Tuesday for further examination.

Coach Tyronn Lue said he was “not sure on what it is,” with regards to the precise nature of Smith’s knee injury.

Kevin Love had 28 points and 14 rebounds for his team-leading 13th double-double of the season and his third straight against the Raptors. Kyrie Irving added 24 points, his career-high 10th straight game with at least 20. Canadian Tristan Thompson chipped in with a season high-equaling 14 rebounds.

DeMar DeRozan had 31 points and Kyle Lowry added 24 for Toronto, which had its six-game winning streak snapped.

For Irving, winning the season series, and gaining the tiebreaker, over Toronto is something to celebrate, particularly when it also ended the Cavs’ skid.

“We know we are going to get their best shot all the time,” he said. “We compete at a high level against one another, so it’s great to come here or them come to Cleveland. It always comes down to basically the last two or three minutes.”